To Thine Own Self Be True: Ninja Boy's Secret by Tina Schneider

NINJA BOY DID NOT WANT TO BE A NINJA.

Sneaking invisibly through trees and over rooftops on silent cat feet and climbing craggy walls like a spider do not make him happy.

NINJA BOY WANTED TO PLAY THE VIOLIN.

He knows that he will fail his ninja exams, and he knows his father, a man who meditates so deeply that he can discern the movement of molecules, will not be pleased.

Ninja Boy does not seek the path of his father. But he does possess the courage of a ninja.

HE SPOKE FROM HIS HEART.

"I WANT TO BE A VIOLINIST."

HIS FATHER'S EYES WERE HARDER THAN GLASS.

But Ninja Boy plays from his heart, filling the house with the joy of his music. And his father smiles and asks him to play another song.

Bravely being true to yourself is the thrust of Tina Schneider's new picture book, Ninja Boy's Secret (Tuttle Publishing, 2019), an oft-repeated theme for parent-and-child differences, but seldom seen in a Japanese ninja setting. Some youngsters will indeed envy the idea of a ninja school where students learn to scale rock walls, vanish into tall trees, and stealthily shift shape into invisibility, and indeed, Tina Schneider's striking black-on-white illustrations are inviting, but so also are her swirling depictions of Ninja Boy's music filling the house with lovely sound. A story of a different drummer who, to mix a metaphor, takes the road less traveled by to be himself.

Counting Down to Party Time! Five Little Ninjalinos: A Halloween Story by Tina Galto

Five little ninjalinos strolled under the full moon.

They were hoping that their leader would be arriving soon.

Where can Night Ninja be? He was last seen trying to find a cool Halloween costume. What's with that?

One little ninjalino sees Gekko. One spots Owlette soaring through the air. Should they follow them? The third little ninjalino moans....

"Oh, That's just too far!"

Another little ninjalino tries to buck up his crew. There's no sign of Catboy! What's the matter with you?

Oh, No! There he is! The Five Little Ninjalinos go into defensive formation. It's fight or flight!

But no, it's neither one. There's just some decorating to be done!

SURPRISE!

There's a Halloween party about to get underway, and the PJ Masks want the ninjalinos to stay.

It's time to bury the nunchuks and celebrate Halloween together, with Tina Galto's ninja-themed version of the familiar holiday song in Five Little Ninjalinos: A Halloween Story (PJ Masks) (Simon Spotlight, 2018).  With the characters from the preschool program, PJMasks, it's time to count down with their sometime foes and party down just in time to share the celebration. Everyone is already wearing a mask, so let the fun begin. Holiday fun for PJMasks' many fans!

Back to School: Ninja Boy Goes to School by N. D. Wilson

IT'S HARD BEING A NINJA.
YOU MUST RISE  BEFORE THE SUN.

It's hard starting Kindergarten, too. It, too, requires rising early, being silent and sometimes remaining perfectly still.

A boy needs to get his "NINJA STUF" box down from the high shelf and get geared up to face the day--all in black, with knapsack, mask, and blue headband in place and his stoic ninja face on.

The first challenge is the school bus.

NINJAS MUST BE ONE WITH THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

The ninja clings to the ceiling of the bus like a fly.

Inside the schoolroom he feels trapped and wants to run away, but his ninja training comes in handy.

A NINJA MUST BE PATIENT LIKE A DEEP-ROOTED TREE.

The ninja stays in his seat and waits for his moment. But a true ninja cannot be contained, and when the teacher is not looking, he leaps like a gazelle out the window.

But what does a little ninja do next?

The ninja may not know, but the principal does, and soon Ninja Boy is on the carpet and calling upon all his skills at remaining silent while his parents are called. OOPS.

There are times in life when it's better to keep your inner ninja undercover, as our boy learns in N. D. Wilson's just published Ninja Boy Goes to School (Random House, 2014).  Kids will giggle as Ninja Boy tries out his moves on the first day of school, with somewhat mixed results. Normally, ninjas are not necessarily nice guys, and Wilson's little main character finds out that there's a time and place for everything, with the help of J. J. Harrison's bright comic book-style illustrations. Pair this one with Aree Chung's new top-seller, Ninja! (Henry Holt and Company, 2014) for a duo of nimble ninja stories.