NINJA ON THE FARM

Moby Shinobi, a young ninja, is eager to use his many skills to help Farmer Bob with his myriad chores.

Ready to kick, spin, jab, jump, and run, Moby has good intentions, but his “help” usually ends in disastrous upheaval on the farm. His flip-and-swipe method of collecting eggs leaves shards and goo all over the coop, along with some very disturbed chickens. Ninja spinning while scooping Pitchfork Pete’s hay has everyone sneezing. Jumping with pails of slop for the pigs creates a muddy mess in the pen. Seeing the results of his good intentions, Moby laments “I did my ninja best you see. / I wish there was a job for me.” Colorful digital artwork with an animation aesthetic depicts farm animals and humans alike with oversized oval eyes reflecting the astonishment caused by Moby’s actions. Readable rhyming couplets set up the action, which is captured in sequences of one-word action verbs that accompany vignettes that depict the accumulating chaos. For example, in trying to collect eggs, Moby’s “FLIP! / SWIPE!” is followed by the chickens’ “SQUAWK! / CRACK!” Readers should laugh along with the antics, empathize with Farmer Bob’s dismay, and cheer in the end when Moby’s skills finally come in handy. Moby and Farmer Bob are light-skinned; Pitchfork Pete has brown skin.

Amusing and accessible.