Karate Kid

July 15, 2019
A series of karate moves is described and demonstrated by a goat kid. Before laying out the stances, kicks, punches, and blocks, Karate Kid opens with the beginning steps of a karate class. All of the English karate-specific vocabulary is accompanied by the Japanese translation in parentheses: "belt (obi)." Karate Kid then goes through the positions, each given its own two-page layout that describes and illustrates the move. Some, such as a position the text labels the "Horse-Riding Stance," have clear explanations; others, like the "Back Kick," are harder to follow due to missing details or the simple challenge of depicting a moving action on the page. Chambers' illustrations show Karate Kid against a plain, bold background, donning his uniform, and showing the moves. While he's certainly a cute character with his headband and beard, it's hard to make sense of moves that describe things like pinched fingers when goats have hooves. A very helpful note for caregivers expanding on the martial art comes on the last page of the book, which means that the explanations of the words, moves, and concept of karate come after readers have largely finished making sense of the book. Due to the occasionally unclear explanations and illustrations, this is best for readers who are already familiar with the sport. A nice homage to karate but not a worthy teaching tool. (Picture book. 4-7)

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September 1, 2019
Grades K-3 What better way to be introduced to karate than by a kid?of the goat persuasion. Karate Kid takes his training seriously, and young readers will find their time watching him in the Dojo quite informative. The opening spread describes how he prepares for class: donning his uniform (gi), standing at attention, bowing, stretching, and clearing his mind. The next spread begins the section on stances (dachi), which names and succinctly describes a stance on one page and shows the Karate Kid demonstrating it on the other. These are followed by kicks, punches/strikes, and blocks, with each movement category containing four examples. Finally comes the katas, which strings movements together. Solid color backgrounds keep readers focused on the book's entertaining but accurate content, and the smoothly written text incorporates the mental component of the sport. For instance, the Rising Block entry ends, Steady. Secure. Safe. It's a little incongruous that the kid is portrayed as a white-bearded goat rather than a more youthful one, but that's a minor qualm for an otherwise solid introduction to karate.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)