Ninjas and Knock Outs!

May 1, 2014

Gr 2-5-Tao is a young student training to be a samurai, but clowning around comes more naturally to him. His teachers, Master Snow and Master Irons, and his friends, Ray, Lee, and Kat, all try to keep him on the straight and narrow. However, Tao still can't help but show up late to class, damage his teacher's prized sword, and get knocked out of a tree by a bird, among myriad other high jinks. The boy is impish, if not completely lovable. It is easy to see him as a younger version of the popular manga character Naruto. Each volume contains more than 50 stories, one per page. There are slight narrative threads running through the tales, but, for the most part, the single-page stories stand on their own. The vignettes start with titles that read like proverbs ("The Bullheaded Must Be Thick-Skulled," "The Fisherman Must Not Fear Getting Wet")and end with a punch line. The text is easy to follow, making these books good for reluctant readers or those who simply want a quick laugh. While the books are mostly comedic, there are some instructive footnotes to explain various martial arts and cultural terms. The panels are appealing to the eye, with crisp, energetic illustrations and vivid colors. A light, entertaining series for most graphic novel collections.-Jenna Lanterman, formerly at The Calhoun School and Mary McDowell Friends School, New York City

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