What Does A Hero Look Like?

This delightful little book challenges the belief that there is one specific prototype for what a hero is. Heroes come in many forms and this book invites the child to look to the everyday heroes all around and to even look for the hero within oneself.

What Does A Hero Look Like, by Sandra Miller Linhart, taps into a question that children often have when they hear adults talk about historical events like the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Ms. Linhart has done a beautiful job of portraying the people who are in every child’s daily life as real heroes. The story puts the child into a very relatable situation of thinking about a homework assignment with some help from grandma.
The illustrations by Tahna Desmond Fox are reminiscent of the Richard Scarry’s Busytown series of books. Ms. Fox beautifully and subtly portrays the heroes as everyday looking people on one page and as superheroes on the next. Every child should appreciate seeing the people in their lives portrayed as superheroes and the attention to the subtle details of each scene really draws the reader into the situation and to the story.
Ms. Linhart and Ms. Fox have masterfully avoided identifying the main character as male of female making this book perfect for either boys or girls. Parents beware, your child will likely want to read this with you again and again until they are reading it themselves, but with the lovely artwork, a couple of “Easter eggs” for parents, and a subtle lesson for all, it will be a pleasurable experience each time.