My Hero
Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022.
She’s quicker than lighting! She’s stronger than steel! Who is this mystery marvel?This daring defender? This GALLANT GIRL OF GREATNESS?!
My Hero is the story of Abigail, an ordinary little kid who may or may not actually be a super-hero.
Or, maybe, My Hero is the story of Awesome Girl, an actual super hero who, misunderstood by mankind and her father, has to play the part of an ordinary little kid while she, along with her sidekick Harry, should really be out saving the day!
Okay, okay. It’s the story of a dad, a daughter, and a cat named Harry, defending each other and the planet from the clutches of the evil villain, Purple Octopus.
Reviews
"Above all else, this is a sweet father-daughter story about believing in your child, but with the bonus of a flying cat sidekick." --Booklist
"All those misunderstood viewers who yearn for superhero glory will cheer on Awesome Girl as she rescues her father and finally gets the parental validation she deserves.." --BCCB
“Biggs flips the script on classic father-daughter tales with this standout book, which casts “gallant girl of greatness” Abigail, aka Awesome Girl, as a hero who comes to her dad’s aid. The high-octane adventure opens with the pink-skinned, freckled protagonist attempting to rescue a cat. When Dad, who also reads as white, announces that it’s bath time, his constant cautionary admonitions annoy the young superhero: “I know you don’t believe me, Daddy, but it’s true. If you ever get into trouble, I’ll save you. I’ll be your hero.” An opportunity soon presents itself after bath-toy-turned-villain Purple Octopus ensnares Daddy. Presented in comics-style panels, the wily cephalopod attempts to sow doubts about whether Awesome Girl’s father believes in her, but the dauntless heroine finds the confidence to prevail. Biggs’s lively storytelling and polychromatic mixed-media illustrations achieve the difficult task of being simultaneously action-packed and emotionally complex, making this an ideal book for budding superheroes.” — Publisher’s Weekly
Awesome Girl
AKA Abigail. AKA “My little hero.”
Awesome Girl is a mystery marvel, a daring defender, a gallant girl of greatness whose job it is to save the day. Like any hero, she walks a fine line between her true-self and her alter-ego, Abigail, an ordinary little kid. In My Hero, she navigates the treacherous waters of parental-skepticism and childhood frustration in order to rescue her skeptical father from the evil clutches of Purple Octopus and, of course, save the day.
Anyone who was ever a little kid will recognize themselves in Awesome Girl, and in Abigail, and in her need to be taken seriously and, moreover, to be believed in.
Harry
Every hero need a sidekick, and Harry is Awesome Girl’s. Harry doesn’t have a “super-hero” name. Harry feels that since he’s a cat, “Harry” is just fine. Harry’s origin is a mystery to everyone except his arch-nemesis, Purple Octopus. Their stories intersect and criss-cross through time, and their animosity transcends mere malice and contempt, going far beyond what Awesome Girl would know, or understand.
Harry is triuly the key to My Hero, and provides the clues to the story’s true nature.
Daddy
Daddy just wants Abigail to be safe, and will do what is necessary to keep her out of trouble. But in doing so, he misunderstands Abigail’s true nature. Every hero story needs an innocent citizen in distress, and in My Hero, this citizen is Daddy. When trouble arrives in the form of Purple Octopus, it will take a dramatic turn for Daddy to believe in Abigail, and in Awesome Girl.
Purple Octopus
No one knows where Purple Octopus came from. He just appeared one day, on the floor of the bathroom. He looks like a harmless bathtub toy, but in reality, he is eight-tentacles of evil, a purple mass of indisputable menace, bent on finishing his evil plan to take over the world. When he kidnaps Daddy, it’s up to Awesome Girl and Harry to save the day.
An animated trailer for My Hero, published May 2022.