Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday- Boys of Steel

My Friend Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a weekly link up to share Nonfiction Picture Books. Please visit her amazing website. 

Boys of Steel

by Marc Tyler Nobleman

Illustrated by Ross MacDonald

Goodreads Summary

JERRY SIEGEL AND Joe Shuster, two misfit teens in Depression-era Cleveland, were more like Clark Kent—meek, mild, and myopic—than his secret identity, Superman. Both boys escaped into the worlds of science fiction and pulp magazine adventure tales. Jerry wrote stories, and Joe illustrated them. In 1934, they created a superhero who was everything they were not. It was four more years before they convinced a publisher to take a chance on their Man of Steel in a new format—the comic book. The author includes a provocative afterword about Jerry and Joe’s long struggle with DC Comics when they realized they had made a mistake in selling all rights to Superman for a mere $130!
Marc Tyler Nobleman’s text captures the excitement of Jerry and Joe’s triumph, and the energetic illustrations by Ross MacDonald, the author-artist of Another Perfect Day, are a perfect complement to the time, the place, and the two young visionaries. 

My Thoughts

I knew nothing about who created Superman before I read this book.  I found it to be very interesting. I loved how Jerry and Joe loved to read and write as kids. They were not traditionally "cool" guys so they wanted to create a hero with an alter-ego that was like them. They faced rejection but didn't give up on Superman for 3 years. Sadly they did sell the rights to DC comics for next to nothing. 

The illustrations feel like you might be reading a comic book and support the story very nicely.  The author's note in the back is full of more interesting information about these two creative men. This is a nice one to add to your biography collection, especially for comic book lovers.