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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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