Hugo is the Super Magic Boy. He can smash furniture. He can climb the highest mountains. And he can change into a dinosaur.
In this opening volume, Hugo meets a dinosaur and decides to see what life is like as a thunder lizard by changing into one.
As a dinosaur, Hugo finds buried treasure that is guarded by the Skeleton King. That's the moment where this series hits its sweet spot. The dinosaur, Hugo meets, aptly named Dino, is a fun character. But he's a bit too rambunctious, getting Hugo into trouble by destroying the boy's home. Skeleton King kinda balances Hugo out as in the second story, he and Hugo go on an adventure to find a new batch of cursed treasure to guard. Dinosaur is like the Cat in the Hat, lacking control of himself. Skeleton King is more like Oliver Hardy to Hugo's Stan Laurel. (If you younger folks don't know who those guys are, check out Youtube for some of their hilarious antics!)
That second story in my opinion was comedy gold as Hugo and the Skeleton King when on a search for some golden treasure. The opening story, 'I am a Dinosaur' had the same energy. Possibly too much, if you ask me. In the scene where Hugo and the Dinosaur are digging, they first come upon a water main, proclaiming the broken pipe to be a 'magic water stick.' Okay, I got a laugh at that. But as they kept digging, Dinosaur found some underground electrical lines that Hugo touches and was shocked by. I felt that the scene went a bit too far because damaged power lines are not something to play with. So hopefully, parents and guardians will be made aware of this scene and discuss electrical safety as kids like to dig in the dirt and potentially could strike an underground line.
This book also has some Magic Bonus Material which is something I love in all ages comics and graphic novels as these activities continue the fun once the story is finished but also further imagination and learning through play. Here, Jarod Rosello teaches young readers how to draw Hugo and Dino along with a creative page showing kids how to become a dinosaur like Hugo does in the book. Paper, pencil and crayons are needed for the art work. A sense of wonder is required for turning into a dinosaur.
If you have a 9-12 year old that likes the Red Panda and Moon Bear books and they have a younger sibling, then the first book in the Super Magic Boy series is sure to become a source of entertainment that they book can enjoy and bond to. Like the Red Panda and Moon Bear series, this book is available in both an English language edition and a volume en Espanol.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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