An intriguing concept that tries to cover too many bases.
In this story, some of Santa’s elves are actually tiny ninjas, working undercover to assist Santa and making the world a better place through “random acts of kindness.”
The North Pole Ninjas wear red and green uniforms and follow their own sensei, the “teacher of the secrets.” These little ninjas also go out into the world to do good deeds as examples of the Christmas spirit. After this setup, the story veers off to reveal that the ninjas need help, so with Santa’s permission, any boy or girl can also be a North Pole Ninja and serve others through good deeds. The text addresses readers with suggested good deeds, including shoveling snow and giving away stacks of food from your refrigerator as well as clothing and toys from your closet. This becomes confusing, especially with a list of children’s names who are chosen by Santa to become ninjas and the implication that the sensei and ninja elves will pop up to advise readers. The illustrations use a dark, mysterious palette with the effect of glowing light at the North Pole and in the living room of a family of three children who become North Pole Ninjas. These children are light-skinned, and both older children wear glasses. The ninja elves are cute little light-skinned creatures, popping up here and there, often upside down or sideways. The sensei (which comes with the book in the form of a soft toy) has the look of a bearded, pink-skinned Yoda, and Santa is white.
An intriguing concept that tries to cover too many bases. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-53944-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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