Ninja Boy Goes to School

May 26, 2014
The author of the 100 Cupboards series explores the perils of being a ninja at school. Dressed in black, with a blue headband, orange sneakers, and a tiger backpack, Ninja Boy stealthily conceals himself on the school bus ceiling and escapes his classroom through the window (“A ninja’s spirit is never caged. A ninja leaps like a gazelle and floats like a cherry blossom”), earning him a visit to the principal’s office and punishment from his none-too-happy parents. Harrison’s smudgy cartoons feature gap-toothed, chubby-cheeked kids and comically pugnacious adults. This one’s for the troublemakers. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Aaron Rench, Leaptide Literary Group.

June 1, 2014
A young ninja shows off some skills for school.Ninjas are good at silently rising before the sun. They are nimble and strong, with the balance of a flamingo "(but without looking silly)"-though the illustration belies this, as all the kids at the bus stop are laughing. They can be "one with their surroundings." This last pictures the boy, in ninja black, plastered to the ceiling of the bus. Light on plot, but so far, so good. But then Wilson's ninja takes a disturbing turn. "A ninja must be still and patient, like a deep-rooted tree...." On the left, Harrison's vibrantly colored illustration shows the ninja sitting primly in class. But on the right, the text reads, ."..and strike with the VIPER'S speed when the time is right for disappearing." The ninja is now sneaking out the classroom window while the teacher's back is turned. The verso reveals "A ninja's spirit is never caged." Freedom is not long-lived, as the teacher catches up to the ninja on the playground, and the principal sends him home, with seriously angry looks all around. His parents put away his ninja things, but regardless, the boy knows he is a ninja, as his shadow proudly reflects. Other poor examples include the precarious stack he climbs to reach the "ninja stuf" and the gray-haired granny bus driver sporting earbuds.A book for those who see school as a prison to be escaped; this is about as strongly anti-school as a picture book gets. (Picture book. 5-7)

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July 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-A ninja must be silent as a ghost, as nimble as a mountain goat, as strong as a gorilla, and have the patience of a "deep-rooted tree." As the necessary qualifications are listed, the pictures show a child dressed as a ninja going through the motions while his amused classmates look on. When he becomes bored in math class, he must choose the right time to disappear by jumping out the window. And he must pay the consequences when his teacher finds him playing tetherball during class. "Ninjas must never give up. Even when facing a strong enemy" shows his stern teacher sending him to the principal's office. He must face the man, but "A ninja knows when to be silent." His angry father takes him home and sends him to his room. "It is hard being a ninja." The comic book-style illustrations have lots of fun details and BAM! POW! kid-appeal. The text is a minefield of similes and metaphors-a great way to introduce the terms to young grammarians.-Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades K-2 It's morning, and a young ninja aficionado's preparing for school, donning dark garb, blue headband, and ninja mask. Being a ninja isn't easyfor example, he must possess the nimbleness of a mountain goat (but without the wool and horns) to retrieve items from a tall bookshelf; and at school, he must be still and patient . . . and strike with the viper's speed when the time is right for disappearing, i.e., escaping through the classroom window to play tetherball outside. But ninjas also know when to be silent: during an ensuing visit to the principal's office, facing not-so-happy parents, and being sent to his room. Nonethess, his inner ninja perseveres. Vibrant, cartoonish illustrations blend, and sometimes blur, familiar and fantastical elements, depicting home and school settings and events with humorous, hyperbolic touches (Ninjas must become one with their surroundings shows him clinging to the school bus ceiling). Though related in brief, descriptive sentences, some aspects may be esoteric for younger ones (In the face of injustice . . . a ninja's emotions are as smooth and still as a clear pond as dad drives the boy home) and will likely resonate most with the ninja-familiar.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)