Kid Coach

Kid Coach sets out to help his "couch potato extraordinaire" father transform into a prize-fighting winner, beginning with strength training and vegetable eating, and working toward the "Wrestle-Rumble Mania Kingdom" championship. Donning a glittery, lime-green robe, an intimidated Dad defeats every opponent, growing ruder as he racks up the wins. Justus's artwork, rendered in a vibrant, pink-forward palette, depicts beefy, inventively costumed wrestlers suited up against a comically scrawny Dad. In a sobering heart-to-heart, Kid Coach teaches Dad that getting off the couch is important, but "a true champion is about more than just being number one." Dad succeeds in making amends only when true to his "humble couch potato beginnings," bringing everyone together around a potato chip olive branch. The kid-turned-caretaker plot can feel a tad thin, but Justus's positive messages about healthy confidence and good sportsmanship come through all the same. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Gr 1-3--This book covers a lot of thematic territory. Within the first three pages, the character of Kid Coach forces his lazy dad to stop watching wrestling videos on the couch, start a weight training regimen, and reform his diet in order to be in tip-top shape for a real wrestling ring. From there, Dad effortlessly triumphs in the ring against a parade of wrestlers approximately 43 times his size. However, Dad must be taught another lesson after his prideful gloating and poor sportsmanship hurt the other men's feelings. Justus's illustrations are bright and colorful. His crew of wrestlers is composed of a man in a leopard costume, a blond man in a pink fur coat, a luchador who takes up more than an entire page, and even more big personalities who wouldn't be out of place in the WWE. Text is simple and printed in bold, easy-to-read type. Word size varies for emphasis. For instance, "little" is printed in a small font and "big" in a larger one. The message about what makes a true champion is a little didactic, but it's heartwarming to see Kid Coach, Dad, and the burly wrestlers come together in the end. VERDICT A playful title to remind readers that important lessons about sportsmanship can be learned at any age.--Chance Lee Joyner, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, NH

This romp of a readaloud has a lot of character, and whether viewers are wrestling fans or not, they are sure to get a chuckle out of Kid Coach's antics with couch-potato-turned-pro-wrestler Dad... This would be an excellent choice for a discussion of that hard-to-grasp concept of sportsmanship, as well as just being pure wacky fun.