Ninja

July 1, 2008
Gr 3-5-These short introductions are accompanied by large, eye-catching color photos and vintage art. In some cases, however, there are gaps in the narratives. In "Movies", some actors are given briefer billing than deserved, or are not mentioned at all. Jet Li, for example, receives only a short biography (as opposed to Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, who have fuller profiles). "Masters" is more successful as it has a number of biographies of the historical figures involved in beginning various martial arts. In "Ninja", spies and assassins are placed in historical perspective, and the current practice of ninjitsu is mentioned, but how ninja clans formed is never explained. In "Samurai", the history of how the warriors came to exist is quite clear, but in that book and in "Masters", the complicated history of the end of the samurai era is oversimplified: one book says that rogue samurai were exiled, while the other says that, after increasingly restrictive rules against the class, carrying swords was outlawed. "Weapons" is a shining example of the potential of the books, presenting equipment from a wide range of arts and clearly explaining its history (sometimes legendary, sometimes factual) and use. Despite flaws, these titles will appeal to students of martial arts, fans of martial arts movies or manga, and those interested in the real history of ninjas and samurai, and the fine illustrations will draw browsers."Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT"

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