Mosquitoes Can't Bite Ninjas

December 19, 2016
Mosquitoes are sneaky, quick, persistent—and no match for debut talent Novak’s kid ninja. Moving calmly and stealthily through a summery park landscape, her young warrior skillfully dodges the bites that afflict lesser mortals, then catches its insect nemesis with chopsticks made from twigs while maintaining a perfect lotus pose. The ninja has the upper hand when it comes to character, too: unlike mosquitos, “Ninjas don’t bite people,” notes Novak, as her ninja instructs a younger sibling. “They learn not to when they’re baby ninjas.” This is more of an extended skit than a story (at one point, the mosquito looks directly at readers and shushes them as it moves in for the bite), and mosquito bites may be no laughing matter to many parents these days. Still, Novak’s minimalist text shows admirable restraint, and her ninja is a comically commanding character, with expressive, saucer eyes (the only feature not wrapped in black) reminiscent of a silent film star. Flat, saturated colors and large-scale cartooning give the book the feel of an oversize comic. Ages 2–5. Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary.

March 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-With a simple and straightforward story line, Novak's work features digital cartoon artwork boldly showing that mosquitoes are no match for ninjas. The pesky bugs bite all kinds of people in a succession of images: swimmers, chefs, "old ladies with blue hair," babies, but not ninjas. Ninjas are sneakier and quicker than their would-be attackers. They learn not to bite when they are babies. However, mosquitoes don't count on ninjas being hungrier than they are! While eating at a picnic, a smiling ninja is shown biting into a mosquito stuck in the jelly on his sandwich-a hilarious and gross twist. Novak's art is clean and includes small details to delight independent readers, while the patterning of text makes this title ideal for sharing aloud. VERDICT A justifiable purchase for libraries where readers can't get enough ninja tales.-Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2016
A mosquito doesn't stand a chance against a ninja. While clearly intended as a humorous text about a pesky mosquito and a pint-sized "ninja," the depiction of the latter brings up troublesome characterization matters. The opening text declares that "mosquitoes bite all kinds of people," and the cartoon-style art (reminiscent of Kate Beaton's work) provides an aerial view of the insect zooming toward a diverse community. The ninja is depicted apart from this community, is assigned no pronouns, and is always clad in black clothing that leaves only eyes visible. The ninja's skin is light brown--a darker shade than some people in the earlier depicted characters and lighter than others--and the ninja is described as "sneakier" and "quicker" than the mosquito. In the picture depicting quickness, the ninja sits cross-legged on the ground and, with narrowed eyes glancing to the side, grabs the mosquito in midair with twigs held like chopsticks. Combined, these cues reinforce Asian stereotypes. The child-sized ninja doesn't appear to be playing pretend, nor to belong to a family, but is joined by a "baby ninja" who wears colorful clothes and a ninja mask. The story's resolution arrives when, instead of being bitten, the ninja bites (and evidently swallows) the mosquito when it gets stuck in a jam sandwich, delivering a bizarre end to the fraught tale. Pass. (Picture book. 4-6)

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February 1, 2017
Preschool-G A young ninja explains why ninjas don't get bitten by mosquitoes in this ninja-versus-mosquito expose. While all other humans seem to be fair game for mosquitoes, the bloodsucking insect is no match for the ninja's quick, stealthy movements. In true Wile E. CoyoteRoad Runner fashion, the mosquito moves in for the attack just as the ninja quickly sidesteps, causing the mosquito to crash into an object just beyond the recently vacated space. With eye-catching, brightly colored ink drawings featuring simple, cartoon-style figures that are big enough for all to view clearly, this is naturally appealing for audiences of any size. Full-page spreads are gracefully balanced with equally appealing spot art, the text is minimal with five words or less on most pages, and ample action is involved with all the sneaking and quick movement. The ending offers a little twistwhile mosquitoes can't bite ninjas, the same can't be said for ninjas biting mosquitoes!and this would be great fun for a read-aloud.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)