  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 05/01/2014 K-Gr 2—Readers riding high on the ninja craze will find this treatise on how to be a successful one quite enlightening. For instance, ninjas need special equipment—a thick stick, silent footwear, sticky gloves, etc. A ninja sneaks, creeps, and is fast on his feet. He will face danger (look out, family pets), show courage, and, most importantly, master the art of SURPRISE! Readers follow the main character through comic-book-style panels as he moves with stealthlike precision, covertly navigating each room and the furniture, to fulfill his mission of capturing his prize: his sister's snack. Silent as a spider, this cartoonish little guy is regaled in makeshift black ninja fashion (where is Dad's necktie?), with only his wide eyes (and several teeth) visible to his enemies. Acrylic paints and mixed media enhance the comic-strip portrayal of a modern ninja on his quest. Heavy, dark tones are enhanced with bursts of color, such as brightly hued, fiery dragon images in keeping with the theme. Oversize heads and exaggerated expressions round out the laugh-out-loud fun. Prospective ninjas, take notice!—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 06/01/2014 Almost every kid has skulked around the house like a ninja, snuck up on unsuspecting targets, and gone unnoticed (or at least pretended to go unnoticed). This boy takes it a step farther, donning night-fighter garb and arming himself with a thick ninja stick (pool cue), an unbreakable ninja rope (jump rope), and more. Mission one: remove the obstacle of the family dog and pounce upon the sleeping dad. Mission two: enter kitchen unseen and steal milk and cookies from the little sister. Both objectives are met with stealthy success, though the latter gets him sent to his room: I am dishonored. Chung’s warm acrylics do wonders with the dim, shadowy interior of a middle-class home, alternating between dynamic full-page illustrations and comic book–like panels that detail the boy’s meticulous maneuvers. Atop this, Chung sometimes paints fiery dragon outlines that let us in on the boy’s imagination. The result can clutter the proceedings a bit, but this is nonetheless relatable, action-packed fun for wee little ninjas everywhere. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2014 A ninja’s full array of skills-stealth, surprise, agility-are on display in this picture book; our nameless hero cunningly uses a paddleball to fend off the family dog as he launches a sneak attack on his napping dad and employs a jump rope to scale his way to the kitchen island for cookies and milk. His younger sister watches him gleefully, and when her attempt to imitate the impressive acrobatics falls flat (literally), our ninja earns a (wordless) scolding . . . but is inspired to train the young one in his learned art. Spreads include geometric backgrounds that experiment with perspective, providing a manga-like reading experience and breaking up the text into short, choppy chunks that evoke the tightness associated with ninja films. That choppiness, however, carries over into the narrative, with disparate scenes cobbled together and an ending that, though heartwarming, doesn’t satisfactorily complete the story. Digitally assembled acrylic and found paper manifests a modern home with Japanese touches-sliding doors that look like they could be rice paper and ikebana arrangements-while our ninja has a exaggerated roundedness with precisely circular eyes and a button nose that, though comical, clashes with the more sophisticated tone. The grandeur of the glowing dragon that activates in the background when ninja powers are being used is breathtaking, though, and a mostly black spread with our narrator’s head hung perfectly captures the shame of a dishonored kid/warrior. Despite its flaws, this could have some rambunctious draw, perhaps for a clad-in-black storytime when paired with Phillipps’ Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed (BCCB 6/09). TA - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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