REVIEW: Celebrating USA’s 250th with Captain America

It’s the United States’ semiquincentennial year, and despite the challenging situation the nation has found itself in, American companies are finding ways to celebrate.

While this National Geographic Kids title isn’t explicitly connected to the 250th birthday of the country, Marvel’s Captain America Across the Country does seeing the titular character preparing to speak at an Independence Day event at Philadelphia. He travels across the US, learning of the different regions of the country from other heroes who live there. Sam Wilson says hi to characters including Steve Rogers and Nick Fury, among others, with the  Ohio-originating Hulk representing the Midwest.

The book switches back and forth between National Geographic Kids’ usual magazine-inspired format and comic panels, but keeps the characters visible throughout, a clever ploy to keep reluctant readers engaged.

Ironically, the speech the Captain is preparing lasts only two sentences, but alas, this is a Level 2 book. Also featured in the end are a quiz and a glossary, repeating terms highlighted throughout.

Overall, children’s author Emma Carlson Berne has done a handy job of condensing the country’s varied geography into a tight 32 pages for ages 5 to 8, combining the strengths of two iconic but unconnected brands.

This book was borrowed from the Brampton Library for review.