  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/15/2017 Last year, Maxwell slept through Santa Claus’ visit, but this year, he’s determined to meet the man himself. This requires, of course, some ninja skills, as well as a few clever traps, starting with a very pointed letter: “This year, I don’t want anything. Just stop by for milk and cookies. And make sure you sit on this red chair.” Maxwell’s traps ultimately work, though not in the way he expects, and he discovers that Santa has some sneaky, ninjalike skills of his own. Chung’s multimedia illustrations, incorporating paintings, collage, and digital media all in comicslike panels, show Maxwell’s letters to the man in red, hint at his Santa-catching ploys, and reveal a surprising ending sure to delight little ones. Ultimately, Maxwell is more impressed by Santa’s superior sneakiness than frustrated at his failure to finally meet him, and he gets an extraspecial present to boot. Fans of Chung’s other Ninja books (Ninja!, 2014, and Ninja! Attack of the Clan, 2016) will appreciate this holiday-themed installment. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—Aspiring ninja Maxwell vows to catch Santa Claus with a series of clever traps. Chung's illustrations combine traditional picture book and comic book elements; add pitch-perfect comic characterization to the mix and you have a read-aloud that kids (and adults) will put on repeat. Maxwell leaves a letter for Santa with some weighty questions ("Are elves taller than kids? Can you read minds? Is your sleigh energy renewable?"), and falls asleep waiting. When crashing noises wake Maxwell, he grabs a flashlight and his dog Brutus to invesitgate, and discovers his terrified papa trapped by hula hoops and covered in cookie crumbs! All the while, Santa (a master ninja himself) hides behind the Christmas tree. As the family sleeps, he easily evades Maxwell's traps. On Christmas morning, Maxwell finds a letter from Ninja Santa answering his previous questions and complimenting his engineering and ninja skills. He also leaves him some sneaky Santa shoes! Maxwell's closing note, promising a "big SURPRISE!" next year, will inspire giggles as readers imagine the high jinks to come. VERDICT Hilarious, action-packed, read-aloud gold. Maxwell's ninja traps will inspire young ones to engineer their own. An easy purchase for all libraries.—Shanna Kim, Los Angeles Public Library - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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