Superhero Books for Picky Eating, Tantrums and Screen Time, Starring Your Child

Yes, there are superhero books for picky eating, tantrums, messy rooms, sharing and screen time, and in ours your child is the hero. The Defender is a series of six personalized hardcovers from Magic Story. After The Defender: The Beginning, where your child earns a suit, a cape and a ring, each book sends them up against a villain who is one of those everyday battles: Tantrum Man, TV Man, Selfish Man, Messy Man and Picky Eater. Each villain wins with a trick, and your child beats it with the choice you hope for at home: putting the ball down, getting up off the couch, offering a turn, picking up the first toy, tasting something new. One photo makes your child the illustrated hero, with their name in the story, and you see a free preview before you buy. The books are for ages 2 to 10, sold as the complete set of six or through Magic Story+, one book a month starting with Book 1.

This is our guide to our own books: what happens in each story, how to use it at home and how to buy. To meet the characters first, read The Defender: six personalized superhero books starring your child.

Which Defender book helps with which everyday battle?

One thing to know before you pick: single Defender books are not sold on their own. You get the book for your battle inside the complete set, or in story order through Magic Story+, where Picky Eater, Book 6, arrives last. There's more on choosing in how to collect The Defender.

Meet the Troublemakers

In The Beginning, Mr. Whackadoodle, who has protected the town for forty years, lays five shiny cards on a picnic table. Each Troublemaker tries to trick the hero into acting just like him, and that is what makes the series useful to a parent: the villain is the behavior, never the child. When your child's friend Sallie drops a wrapper in the park and later says, "That's not me," your child, as the Defender, answers, "It wasn't you. It was Messy Man."

The Defender Ring glows blue when a Troublemaker is playing a trick, which gives your child a beat to notice and choose differently. Three tiny helpers called the Bambareenoes back them up with answers nobody expects: a lullaby, a song, a power switch. The villains change too. Messy Man joins in, Selfish Man shares and TV Man admits he was wrong, so nobody is beyond a second chance, including a kid who just had a rough afternoon.

Where the hero comes from: The Defender: The Beginning

Sample pages show our example hero. Your child's books use their own name and illustrated likeness.

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  The Defender Your child, with their own face and name, in the suit, cape and ring.

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  The cape Mr. Whackadoodle hands over the cape that lets the hero fly.

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  The Troublemakers Five cards on the table, and five battles to come.

Every adventure starts in the park. Your child is the only one who says hello to the old man feeding the birds, and when two boys run at the flock, shouting, your child stands up tall: "Stop it! Leave the birds alone!" Mr. Whackadoodle has been watching. "You notice things. You are kind. And you are brave." Only then come the suit, the cape, the ring and the Bambareenoes, and your child says what most children would: "Me? But I'm just a kid!"

The hero is chosen for kindness and courage they showed before any superpower, so the series opens by telling your child the good stuff is already in them. Magic Story+ always starts here, with Book 1.

Is there a good book about picky eating for kids?

Yes: The Defender vs Picky Eater. It treats picky eating as what it often feels like to a child, a worry about something new, and lets your child beat the worry as the hero.

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  Picky Eater He turns a tiny nervous feeling into fear.

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  The same food Picky Eater only keeps the foods he isn't afraid of.

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  Just near it The sauce isn't touching the burger. It's just near it.

Picky Eater has the town missing out: Sallie skips lunch because the pizza is pepperoni, and Joey misses a birthday party over strawberry icing. Mr. Whackadoodle starts with something every child knows: "Have you ever been a little nervous to try a new food? That's normal. But Picky Eater turns that tiny feeling all the way up." Your child works it out: "So it's not about the food. It's about being afraid."

At Picky Eater's house, where every shelf holds the same soup, your child turns down three good plates: pizza with mushrooms, a burger with green sauce on the side, pasta with spinach. Then the Ring glows. Picky Eater is picking the mushrooms off his own pizza. Once the Bambareenoes have tied him up with a rope of spaghetti, your child pulls the pizza close, takes a bite and finds out: "The mushrooms were... actually fine!"

How to use it at home:

• Read it away from the table. At bedtime, a book about mushrooms asks nothing of anyone's plate.
• Name the villain, not the child. "Is Picky Eater at the table tonight?" lets your child stand up to the worry instead of to you.
• Leave the choice with them. Nobody makes the Defender take that bite. Offer the new food, or cook with it together, then let it sit there.

A story is a conversation starter, not a feeding plan. If your child eats only a handful of foods, gags on textures, or you're worried about their growth, talk with your pediatrician.

What is a good book about tantrums?

The Defender vs Tantrum Man. It explains a tantrum in words a child can hold on to, and its hero wins with calm, not force.

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  Tantrum Man He makes the whole town lose its cool.

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  The friendly start Tantrum Man doesn't yell at first. He throws a party.

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  The Ring flashes The moment your child sees the trick.

Tantrum Man has babies screaming in the sandbox and Tyrod pounding the grass because the swings are taken. Mr. Whackadoodle explains it in words a five-year-old can repeat: a tantrum is "when your feelings take over your brain and you can't think anymore." His fix: "Deep breaths and quiet time."

Tantrum Man is cleverer than a monster. He throws your child a party, then asks whether they get to watch their favorite show whenever they want. "You should be SUPER mad!" he says, and suggests throwing a ball through the window. The Ring flashes blue, and your child sets the ball down: "Yelling doesn't get me my TV show. It gets me a timeout!" When Tantrum Man starts throwing things, the Bambareenoes don't fight back. They answer with soft voices ("You must be very frustrated"), a tiny violin and a cool washcloth until his red glow fades.

How to use it at home:

• Read it on a calm day. A child in the middle of a meltdown can't take in a story.
• Borrow the language. "Is Tantrum Man visiting?" lets your child talk about the feeling without being the problem.
• Practice the helpers' moves. A low voice, a name for the feeling and one slow breath together are easier to reach for in a hard moment if you've tried them in an easy one. The book calls the break a "timeout," so swap in your family's own word if you use another.

Is there a book that helps kids clean up their room?

The Defender vs Messy Man. Its villain doesn't make a mess all at once. He makes "later" sound reasonable, one toy at a time.

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  Messy Man His trap builds so slowly that nobody notices.

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  Spotless, for now Messy Man's hideout is perfectly tidy when the hero arrives.

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  One more game Each game ends up in the corner, saved for later.

In town the mess starts small: peanut shells in the sandbox, a wrapper Sallie drops ("What difference does one wrapper make?"). Mr. Whackadoodle asks your child, "Have you ever been having so much fun you didn't notice the mess you were making?" Then he gives them the line of the book: "Anyone can make a mess. It takes a hero to clean one up."

Messy Man's hideout is spotless when your child arrives. The train tracks go into the corner ("We'll clean up later"), then the blocks, the cars, the dinosaurs and the wrappers. When the Ring glows, the corner is a mountain, and your child says quietly, "I did this." They pick up one track, then another: "Later never comes, Messy Man. That's the whole trick." By the end, Messy Man has joined a toss-and-catch cleanup game with the Bambareenoes, and admits he thought that if he was messy, nobody would want him around anyway.

How to use it at home:

• Start with one piece. The hero doesn't tackle the whole room. They pick up one train track.
• Make it a catch game. Toss soft toys to a grown-up at the toy box, the way the Bambareenoes catch them. Even Messy Man calls it "still pretty fun."
• Clean as you go. The book's own conclusion: "That would have been easier if we'd cleaned as we went." When "I'll do it later" comes up, "Later never comes" makes a playful reminder.

Is there a good book about sharing for kids?

The Defender vs Selfish Man. It's honest about why sharing is hard, and the hero's big move is the hardest one: opening their own hand.

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  Selfish Man He makes everyone forget that sharing comes back around.

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  The trap Selfish Man gives first. The taking comes later.

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  The song "But who will share with you someday?"

When Selfish Man comes to town, Sallie won't give up the swing and Marcus runs off with all three pizzas meant for the team. Mr. Whackadoodle gives your child a picture to hold on to: "Kindness is like a boomerang. Share your swing with someone, and someday they will share with you."

Selfish Man is the trickiest Troublemaker, because he gives. Your child gets the Gold Commander, the toy they've wanted for two birthdays. When Selfish Man asks for a look, your child holds on tight, through a tug of war and a kick to the leg, until the Bambareenoes sing: "It's mine, it's mine, I hear you say. But who will share with YOU someday?" The Ring turns blue. Your child opens their hands: "I'm sorry. Here. You can have a turn." Selfish Man stares at the toy. "Nobody ever offered me anything." He takes his turn, then gives it back.

How to use it at home:

• Talk about the boomerang. "Who shared with you today?" makes the idea concrete.
• Say that it's hard. Asked what the hardest part was, your child answers, "Opening my hand." The book doesn't pretend sharing is easy, and you don't have to either.
• Practice turns, not giving away. In the book the toy passes back and forth. A turn that comes back is easier to offer.

Is there a screen time book for kids?

The Defender vs TV Man. It doesn't call screens bad. It shows what they crowd out, and lets your child be the one who notices.

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  TV Man He doesn't make anyone yell. He makes everyone stop.

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  The hideout Every screen plays the hero's favorite show.

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  Just one minute The softest, deepest couch ever.

When TV Man comes to town, Tyrod skips the park, Sallie's mom never gets around to making dinner, and Coach Briggs cancels practice for a really good show. Mr. Whackadoodle warns your child not to sit down in TV Man's hideout, and to "keep your eyes on TV Man, not the screens."

And your child sits down anyway. Every wall is playing their favorite episode of Robot-Rangers, and the softest couch in town folds around them. It's one of the most honest moments in the series: even the hero falls for it. Then the Ring buzzes, and the people they've been missing come rushing back: Sallie hungry, Tyrod at home instead of at the park, the empty soccer field. "You almost got me. But almost doesn't count!" The Bambareenoes find the power switch, every screen goes dark, and TV Man admits, "I thought I was helping."

How to use it at home:

• Plan what comes after. The book ends with friends, dinner and soccer, not a blank screen. Decide together what screen-free time is for.
• It's not just TVs. The same pull comes from tablets and phones. Ask, "What is the screen crowding out right now?"
• Expect the couch. The hero sat down too. Getting pulled in isn't failing. Getting back up is the win.

Is The Defender a good superhero book for a 5 or 6 year old?

Yes. The Defender suits five- and six-year-olds well: they can follow a villain's trick from the friendly start to the glowing Ring, and they love hearing their own name in a superhero story. Our books are for ages 2 to 10. Younger children enjoy them as a read-aloud, and older readers can take over the comic sound effects. Girls and boys can both be the Defender: the hero is whoever is in the photo.

For a birthday, the complete set puts all six adventures in their hands at once. For more ideas by age, see our guides to personalized books for 5-year-olds and personalized books for 6-year-olds, or read how being the hero shapes kids' confidence.

How does a personalized superhero book work?

1. Upload one clear photo and add your child's name. Your child becomes the illustrated Defender, and the story uses their name. Our photo tips help the character look like them.
2. See a free personalized preview. It shows your child's character on a cover or in a scene from the book, not every page, and needs no credit card. The sample pages on each book's page show our example hero, so you can look inside the story too. Read how the free preview works.
3. Get the hardcovers. Each book is printed to order after you buy, then shipped to you.

Magic Story+ or the complete set: how to collect The Defender

The Defender Complete Series. All six personalized hardcovers in one order, shipped together, with no subscription. One photo personalizes every book. It's the way to get a particular book now, Picky Eater included. See the current price on The Defender series page.

Magic Story+ with The Defender series. One personalized hardcover a month. In the US it costs $24.99 a month, plus shipping and tax. It starts with Book 1, The Beginning, and the other five follow in story order: Tantrum Man, TV Man, Selfish Man, Messy Man, then Picky Eater. After all six, the membership continues with more personalized stories until you cancel. You can skip a month, pause or cancel from your account. Cancel at least 24 hours before renewal to avoid the next charge; how to cancel Magic Story+ has the steps. Read what Magic Story+ includes.

Single Defender books aren't sold on their own. If one battle can't wait, choose the set. If your child would love a new villain to look forward to each month, choose Magic Story+.

When will the books arrive?

US printing takes 3 to 5 business days. From order to arrival, Standard delivery takes 5 to 10 business days and Expedited takes 5 to 8. These are estimates, not guarantees, and checkout shows the estimate for your address before you pay. Read how long until my book arrives. Giving the books for Christmas? Check will my book arrive by Christmas?

Start with the battle at your house

• See all six books, their trailers and sample pages: The Defender superhero books
• Get all six together, or start with The Beginning on Magic Story+: both are on the series page
• Meet the characters: our first guide to The Defender