10 Little Ninjas

June 27, 2016
In Paul’s (Water Is Water) boisterous story set to the tune of “Ten Little Monkeys,” 10 ethnically diverse children avoid bedtime by adopting new personas, including ninjas, “prowling tigers,” and “rowdy cowboys.” Replacing the “doctor” in the original rhyme is the children’s mother, who also changes roles for each scenario: “Daddy called the lifeguard/ and the lifeguard yapped,/ ‘No more reef sharks/ swimming lazy laps!’ ” Eventually, there are “No little ninjas sneaking out of bed./ None jumped off and bumped their heads.” Wragg (Elwood Bigfoot) captures the push and pull of bedtime rituals in his energetic digitally assembled cartoons. Ages 2–5. Author’s agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

May 15, 2016
The familiar ditty about little monkeys jumping on a bed is reimagined with a racially diverse group of 10 children going to imaginative lengths to resist bedtime.Sneaking out of their room to indulge in a variety of lively games, they are repeatedly rounded up by their Daddy and Mama (who are ambiguously tan and dark-haired) before everyone finally collapses into peaceful slumber. Unfortunately the text lacks finesse ("6 rowdy cowboys lassoing the rails--one loop swooped and, whoops!, it failed"), featuring word choices that feel contrived ("8 rapid racers revving out the gate--one left late and couldn't drive straight!"). It is Wragg's cheery illustrations in rich jewel tones that steal the show. The children's bright, cartoonlike faces are expressive, and their costumes--the tigers and dragons, in particular--are truly adorable. The 10 scenarios described are ethnically and culturally nonspecific (astronaut, pirate, firefighter) with the notable exception of the first, ninja. It is portrayed via a bewildering miscellany of Asian props: the tree pose from Indian yoga, karate outfits, and a conical straw hat of the variety favored by rice farmers. The text here refers to the mother as "sensei," and she is subsequently described in the context of the other scenarios (pilot, sheriff, etc.), a choice that may initially confuse children.A lightweight offering undermined by awkward writing. (Picture book. 3-6)

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July 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-It's that time of night when parents have tucked their children into bed, but instead of drifting off to sleep, the little ones are raring to go. In this retelling of the classic nursery rhyme, instead of monkeys jumping on the bed and bumping their heads, 10 children have a series of imaginative adventures. It begins: "10 little ninjas sneaking out of bed-/one jumped off and/bumped her head./Daddy called the sensei/and the sensei said, /'No more ninjas/sneaking out of bed!' " The kids pretend they are astronauts, race car drivers, pirates, prowling tigers, and dragons. With each adventure, one child has a minor catastrophe-from getting the traditional bump on the head to thwacking the wall-and winds up heading off to bed. The mom and dad work together to corral and discipline their children, but it is the father who calls for help and the mom who lays down the law. As with the original nursery rhyme, children will enjoy reciting the catchy rhymes aloud once they become familiar with the story ("6 rowdy cowboys lassoing the rails-/one loop swooped and, /whoops!, it failed./Daddy called the sheriff/and the sheriff wailed, /'No more cowboys lassoing the rails!'") and counting down as the story progresses. The illustrations are two-dimensional and colorful, with the dominant color palette for each spread changing depending upon the setting. VERDICT A fun read-aloud for bedtime, storytimes, and small group reads.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA

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