Captain Awesome and the Missing Elephants

Captain Awesome and the Missing Elephants by Stan Kirby is a daft field-trip story for 5 year olds about a boy who wants to see the elephants more than anything in the world.

What happens

Two words. FIELD TRIP. Eugene's class is off to the Sunnyview Memorial Zoo tomorrow, and Eugene has one animal on his list (the elephants, with their supertrunk powers).

Eugene, his best friend Charlie and their neighbour Sally are secretly the Sunnyview Superhero Squad. In costume they're Captain Awesome, Nacho Cheese Man and Supersonic Sal. This is the tenth book in the series, and it stands on its own.

Before the trip has even started, Meredith Mooney (Little Miss Stinky Pinky to the Squad) has got hold of Eugene's permission slip. Then Ms Beasley seats everyone in alphabetical order. McGillicudy, Mooney. Nobody in between!

At the zoo things get worse. Randy the junior assistant zookeeper keeps leading the class away from the elephants. They're a bit shy, he says. Lunch is at the Brussels Sprouts Café instead of the place with the animal-shaped chicken nuggets.

So Eugene draws the only sensible conclusion. Randy must be a villain.

What makes this so much fun is how every small disappointment turns into an enormous battle. A tray of steamed carrots floors Nacho Cheese Man. A cook in a zebra hat is the sinister Brussels Sprouter. Has your child ever been sure a grown-up was ruining their day on purpose? Eugene is that child, at full volume.

There are proper zoo bits too. A silverback gorilla. Bengal tigers. A few facts about elephants that Eugene shouts out whether anyone asked or not.

The ending brings the whole class along with the Squad, which is a really nice touch. I'll leave it there.

It's American, so expect Mom, second grade and prices in dollars. Meredith calls him puke-Gene and there's a lot of barfing talk, all of it the joking kind.

What to read next

If they're ready for more, the Evil Babysitter is the next book. Eugene is counting down to a perfect weekend when he spots his parents' suitcases waiting in the hall.