Title: The Day I Lost My Superpowers
Author: Michael Escoffier
Illustrator: Kris Di Giacomo
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Year: 2013
Story Element #10 BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS When you write, every word counts. But sometimes I think the beginnings and endings might count more. First of all you have to hook a reader right away, especially in children’s literature because you don’t have pages and pages to build up excitement. And of course the end has to be satisfying. If your story has a happy ending, ‘they lived happily ever after’ is implied. So unless you are writing a fairy tale, you’ll stay clear of that ending line.
Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This story has a great beginning…
The day I discovered I could fly, I knew that I was special.
As with any truly outstanding picture book, the illustrations play a huge role in the composition of the story. Here, when the girl discovers she can fly, we see her suspended in mid-air and two arms ready to catch her and throw her back up again.
She practices her flying skills by jumping off a bed and soaring off the slide into the sandbox. From there she develops her other superpowers. She can make things like cupcakes disappear (but not peas). She finds creative ways to go through walls, walk on the ceiling, and breathe underwater.
Just when she is convinced that she does indeed have superpowers and wonders if she should tell her parents, she falls and her superpowers disappear.
However, this is not the end of the book. If it had been, then the story would have fallen flat as well. No, here’s where a great ending makes all the difference in a book. As she cries for help, her mother swoops her up and gives her a magic kiss. Now that magic kiss could be the ending. But, no…
Enter the unexpected ending…
So now, you know what I think? I think my mom has superpowers too!
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Juliana Lee 
a perfect ending
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That’s what I thought too, Linda!
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Love your Longfellow quote…and this story proves it’s truth. Thanks for sharing a great book, Juliana.
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Yup, that Longfellow guy is pretty smart! So glad you liked the book.
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Yes, that is sweet. Great example!
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Thanks, Christie. I’m really enjoying taking part in your challenge!
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Aw, I love that. I’m so glad that instead of losing her belief in superpowers, it grew to include her mom, too. And it’s true, moms really do have super powers.
Thanks for sharing this one – I hadn’t seen it before!
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It was new for me too. I was actually waiting for his new book, THE BRIEF THIEF, when I found this one. Can’t wait for the new one!
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Ooh, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for it!
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How sweet! Love the idea of this ending.
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Yes, HWLongfellow was right, the art of a ending is essential.
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