storytime!

Part of my job consists of conducting twice a week storytime sessions for 3-5 year-olds. I've decided my next theme is going to be ninjas.  There have been quite a few cute ninja books to cross my desk recently. Here are my favorite picks so far:

Nighttime Ninja
Author: Barbar Da Costa
Illustrator: Ed Young
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-6
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score:****
Overall Score:****
Rating: G


When all is quiet the ninja creeps through the house in search of treasure. But just as he's about to strike the lights come on and….Ah! Mom is foiling his plans to steal cookies! And it's back to bed for him. Young's cut paper illustrations have a decidedly Asian flare. Bold framed pages outlined by ribbon accent the dark, shadowy action. And the cute twist at the end is perfect.

The Boy Who Cried Ninja
Author and Illustrator: Alex Latimer
Pages:32
Age Range: 4-7
Published: 2011
Genre:Picture Book
Cover Score:***
Overall Score:****
Rating: G

When a boy blames all of the 'bad' happenings in his life on ninjas and giant squids and various other creatures his family doesn't believe him and he gets in trouble for lying. When he decides he'll just fess up and claim responsibility he gets in trouble for doing all the bad things. So, he sends out some invitations to a party and when all of the creatures show up he feels vindicated and his parents realize their mistake. Silly fun with great Oliver Jeffers-ish illustrations.

Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed
Author and Illustrator: J. C. Philipps
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-7
Published: 2009
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ***
Rating: G

Wink tries and tries to do his best in Ninja class but he can’t be silent. He wants to share his accomplishments with everyone and show them what he has learned. But “silence is the weapon of the ninja” as his master reminds him often and “the loudest cricket is the first to be caught.”

His grandmother tries to console him with tickets to the circus but Wink chides her that ninjas don’t go to the circus. On his long walk home from class one day Wink comes across a young boy practicing acrobatics and Wink steps in to lend a hand. Days later his grandmother and master each receive tickets to the circus in the mail where they see Wink shining in the spotlight doing all of his greatest moves in a flashy costume to the applause of a large audience. Cut paper illustrations filled with humor, texture, and perfect Eastern flavor.

The Three Ninja Pigs
Author: Corey Rosen Schwartz
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-7
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score:****
Overall Score:****
Rating: G

The story of the 3 little pigs gets an oriental kick when the 3 pigs, tired of the rampaging, huffing puffing wolf decide to train at the new ninja school.

The first pig takes aikido but gets bored and drops out. Pig two takes jujitsu, learns a few skills and then leaves convinced he’s ready to take on everyone. The third goes with karate (a girl, btw) and slowly works her way through all the skills month after month (some nods to karate kid in the illustrations)

When the wolf comes knocking, Pigs One and Two in their straw and twig houses still can’t compete and come running to the third for rescue. Showing off her newly acquired skills she breaks some boards and bricks and sends the wolf running before she can apply them to his hide. The two brothers are grateful and return to school to finish their learning.

A fun rhyming text sprinkled with martial arts terms (and a glossary in the back) makes for a perfect read aloud. Santat has a way with color focusing on deep golds, greens and reds. There’s a touch of comic book feel particularly during the action sequences (panels, frames, close ups, movement lines, speech bubbles) and fun nods to The Karate Kid that parents will get a kick out of. Gorgeous end pages show a Japanese landscape filled with hills, mountains, cherry and bonsai trees. And there are fun illustrated author and illustrator ‘photos’ on the back flap.

The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear
Author: David Bruins
Illustrator: Hilary Leung
Pages:32
Age Range: 3-6
Published: 2009
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score:***
Overall Score:****
Rating: G

3 friends share many of the same interests but they also each have their own strengths. One day they get frustrated with each other and devise a series of contests to see who is the best of all, but the contests leave them more confused than ever. They each go their separate ways and while meditating and pondering they realize that they appreciate their strengths and differences and that’s what makes them unique.

A definite “moral” book but it’s such fun you can mostly overlook it. The illustrations have a decidedly Eastern hint, stylized like anime and paneled like a graphic novel. The greatest part is the game in the back. Walking like you would in a western showdown the players stand back to back, count 3, turn and pose like either the ninja, the cowboy or the bear. In a full body version of rock paper scissors each wins out over one of the others. 

If I were really cool and didn't mind facing the backlash that would inevitably surface by promoting weapons in a program, I'd follow up the stories with the creation of these ninja nunchucks. I'll probably just stick with the less threatening ninja stars (though with my group I'll probably have to make them myself and just let them do some appropriate decorating.) And if I had unlimited funds/time/permission I'd send them all home with a treat...Ninjabread Men!