7 Books for the Ninja-Obsessed
My kids want to be ninjas. Even my eighteen-month-old has added “NIN-YA!,” to the select list of the twenty-something words he uses regularly, exclaiming it with glee any time he sees an image of a masked face. I’m happy to indulge idols that are both strong and smart—and stealthy, because goodness knows I support anything that makes my children want to be quieter. However, popular on-screen ninja characters that glorify high-tech weapons and sensationalized destruction seem to inspire some less-than-desirable imitative behavior in my kids. Enter, ninja picture books. There’s obviously a lucrative market for them, because a new one seems to be on display at the library nearly every time we visit. Here are seven family favorites that my kids and I both agree are worth their spots on the bookshelf:
{{ product: 9780805099164 }}Ninja! Attack of the Clan, by Arree Chung
It’s hard to choose which of Arree Chung’s books about young “Ninja Maxwell” is our favorite because we kids love them all. This one always makes me chuckle, though. Maxwell gets frustrated when his parents and baby sister are too busy to play with him. While he resorts to solitary meditation, though, they make a sneaky plan, surprising him with some ninja moves of their own. This is a sweet story about the power of a ninja’s “clan.”
Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed, by J.C. Phillips
Wink wants to succeed in ninja school, but there’s just one problem: he can’t keep quiet. After a mishap at the zoo in which he ends up on wrong side of the wall of the panda enclosure, Wink happens upon a circus family. In a heartwarming ending that encourages readers to find their own paths, Wink wows his family and teacher as “The Nimble Ninja,” the Lucky Dragon Circus’s newest act.
Nina the Neighborhood Ninja, by Sonia Panigrahy and Hazel Quintanilla
This story gets points in my book for portraying a girl in the ninja role. Along with her sidekick Fiona the Firefly, Nina’s ninja missions include rescuing animals in distress and performing other neighborly good deeds. She does leave time to stop for a delicious picnic, though. This title adds balance to the ninja genre.
The Three Ninja Pigs, by Cory Rosen Schwartz and Dan Santat
We love a good fractured fairy tale in my family, and this one, in which the three pigs head to ninja school to learn how to outsmart the Big Bad Wolf, is no exception. This story focuses on the values of patience and persistence; when the first two pigs abandon their martial arts training before it’s complete, the third pig redoubles her efforts and achieves a black belt in karate. This proves useful when the huffing, puffing canine comes calling.
The Boy Who Cried Ninja, by Alex Latimer
This story isn’t solely about ninjas, but the title and cover image were enough to pique my kids’ interest. When a series of bizarre characters wreak havoc on Tim’s household—including, but not limited to an uncharacteristically impulsive ninja—the blame falls wrongly on Tim. Saddled with punishments, he launches a creative plan to reveal the true culprits to his parents.
The Ninjabread Man, by C. J. Leigh and Chris Gail
You can guess what happens when Sensei opens the oven door to check on the ninjabread he’s baking for his students. This story takes Ninjabread Man on a cracking, flashing run through the hills as he defeats Ninja Bear, Ninja Snake and Ninja Mouse, only to find himself in an unfortunate final matchup with Ninja Fox. This story doesn’t stray far from typical Gingerbread man tales, other than the requisite martial-arts-inspired details, but it doesn’t need to, because Ninjabread Man is pretty darn endearing just as he is.
My Grandma’s a Ninja, by Todd Tarpley and Danny Chatzikonstantinou
It sounds cool to have a ninja for a grandmother. What about when her camouflage strategies get you in trouble with your mom, though? Or when her super-strong kicks deflate your team’s soccer ball? Despite his frustration, Ethan does find he misses his Grandma when she goes rogue. Luckily, she reappears just at the right moment, back-flipping all the way.
Which stories do your little ninjas enjoy?