Beverley Fahey (Children's Literature)
Timothy Smallbeast is a little guy who does everything in his power to get stronger. When his mother repairs his favorite pajamas with strong thread, sturdy patches, six very red buttons, and an extra secret button inside, Timothy finds he has super powers. With his faithful companion Monkey, he uses his new strength for good, saving an elephant falling from a cliff, rescuing a princess from a tower, capturing a crocodile escaping from the zoo, and helping a kitten down from a tree. When he finds a frightened and very large bear that is too tired to walk back to the deep forest, Timothy gladly carries him home. That is when disaster strikes! As he sets the bear down, Monkey is trapped beneath him and Timothy’s pajamas rip and his super powers are gone. Not to fear, his rescued friends hear his cries for help and come to his aid. Delightful, full color cartoon illustrations brimming with detail extend the text of this humorous adventure with a spunky hero. Every child who has ever dreamed of being a super hero will find his role model in Timothy. A super debut picture book by a new author. 2007, Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, $16.99. Ages 3 to 6.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 1))
Timothy Smallbeast wants desperately to be strong. Every evening before bed he follows a routine to make himself superhero strong: fortified cookies and milk, exercises and strong-thought meditation. All that is hard on his favorite pajamas. Mom suggests new ones, but new ones wouldn't be favorite ones. She mends his old pajamas and suddenly Timothy is superstrong. He puts his powers to good use with the help of his sock monkey, Monkey. They save an elephant lady, sailors, a princess and several others. Just before bedtime, Timothy helps a giant bear find the forest to hibernate. The bear accidentally falls asleep on Monkey and tears Timothy's pajamas. His super strength gone, Timothy doesn't know how to save Monkey. Good thing he has made plenty of new friends. Half of the team behind the surreal Adventures of a Nose (2002) has created an absolute winner. The comic-inspired thick-line illustrations are a perfect marriage of the sense of humor of Lauren Child's Charlie and Lola and Kevin Henkes's Lilly for toddler boys (and girls). 2008, Levine/Scholastic, 40p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 2 to 8. Starred Review. © 2008 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lisa Forba (Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2009)
This book is about Timothy Smallbeast. He wants to grow up and be big and strong, so he constantly trying to become strong and his pj’s get pretty worn from all that he does. His mother then patches them up and sews on new buttons. Timothy finds out that after his mother has fixed his pajamas that he is super strong and goes about helping other animals in need. At the very end his friend monkey gets stuck and really needs his help, but Timothy rips his pajamas and his isn’t super strong anymore. Luckily, all the animals he helped earlier in the day come to his rescue and help him save his friend. I thought this was a cute story that would be good to read aloud to kids. It has nice colorful pictures and talk bubbles to keep their focus on the book. Category: Fiction/Animal Story. 2007, Arthur A. Levine Books, imprint of Scholastic Inc, $16.99. Ages 6 to 9.

Brenda Dales (Library Media Connection, March 2008)
Timothy, along with his friend, Monkey, tries to gain strength through typical means such as exercising and thinking "strong thoughts." What really does the trick is when his mother strengthens his favorite pajamas with sturdy patches, an extra button, the strongest thread, and other effects during mending. Now Timothy and his "Super Strong Pajamas" can save a kitten, rescue an elephant, help some sailors, and more...until a tired bear decides to hibernate on top of Monkey! The pajamas rip on the bear's claw, and Timothy's strength wanes. But, with assistance from everyone he helped, Monkey is liberated. While the story has a familiar theme, it is enhanced with the sense of cooperation. An action-packed story, author Viviane Schwarz provides a mixture of full-bleed double-page spreads, panels, single-page illustrations, circles, and various techniques with font size, dialogue balloons, and word placement to aid in pacing and focus. Recommended. 2008, Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic), 40pp., $16.99 hc.. Ages 5 to 9.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, March 2008 (Vol. 61, No. 7))
Little Timothy Smallbeast yearns for great strength, and he gets his wish when his mother mends his pajamas so strongly and sturdily that a pajama-wearing Timothy now has the power to pull his bedroom door right off its hinges. Using his power for good (of course), Timothy helps a colorful array of the afflicted, ranging from an elephant (she falls off a cliff while picking berries) to a princess (imprisoned in a tower) to a kitten (stuck in a tree). When he carries a huge sleepy bear back to his hibernation home, however, there’s a double tragedy: Bear accidentally rips Timothy’s pajamas, rendering them powerless, and then falls asleep sitting on Timothy’s beloved toy monkey. Will Timothy have to wait until Bear’s spring awakening to reunite with his friend? The narrative has an enjoyably breathless and exclamatory tone, spiced up by often wry or over-the-top observations in speech bubbles (“You are wearing the patches of power and the buttons of braveness,” Monkey explains to Timothy), that’s sure to both tickle and entice youngsters. Blessedly, the plot avoids the saccharine “the strength was in him all along” cliché, instead having Timothy’s good karma save him when the beneficiaries of his superstrength join forces to safely retrieve Monkey from under the sleeping bear, an ending that allows superheroism its reality even as it delivers a bolstering message. The matte page surfaces soften the intensity of the illustrations, enhancing their coziness and gentling the contrast of the informal linework; while some compositions are a bit overbusy, the planes of temperate color provide a nice backdrop for homey little Timothy (a small fluffy-tailed critter, perhaps a polecat). Use this with Pinkney’s Adventures of Sparrowboy (BCCB 6/97) for a pair of unusual superheroes, or just as a cozy and empowering readaloud to youngsters snuggled up in their own lovingly repaired pajamas Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2008, Levine/Scholastic, 32p.; Reviewed from galleys, $16.99. Ages 4-7 yrs.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2008)
Timothy's mother's sturdy mending transforms his favorite pajamas into super pajamas. Heroic rescues ensue until the pajamas rip, losing their power. It's a beguiling premise, affectionately developed in boldly limned illustrations where comic book-style dialogue balloons are supplemented with narrative; meanwhile, frames and vignettes open into imaginative vistas, bright with saturated colors. Lively, funny, and true to the spirit of play. Category: Picture Books. 2008, Scholastic/Levine, 40pp, 16.99. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.