"Ninja Baby is tons of fun and wonderfully expresses how it feels to be a sibling!"—Peter Catalanotto, author of Monkey and Robot
"Ninja Baby is tons of fun and wonderfully expresses how it feels to be a sibling!"—Peter Catalanotto, author of Monkey and Robot
"Ninja Baby is tons of fun and wonderfully expresses how it feels to be a sibling!"—Peter Catalanotto, author of Monkey and Robot
"Stalking undetected into your heart, this book effectively feeds the ninja need."—Kirkus Reviews
"Stalking undetected into your heart, this book effectively feeds the ninja need."—Kirkus Reviews
"Stalking undetected into your heart, this book effectively feeds the ninja need."—Kirkus Reviews
" David Zeltser and Diane Goode deserve a black belt for delivering a high kick to the funny bone! Ninja Baby is a must read for parents and siblings to be."—Judy Schachner, author of Skippyjon Jones
" David Zeltser and Diane Goode deserve a black belt for delivering a high kick to the funny bone! Ninja Baby is a must read for parents and siblings to be."—Judy Schachner, author of Skippyjon Jones
" David Zeltser and Diane Goode deserve a black belt for delivering a high kick to the funny bone! Ninja Baby is a must read for parents and siblings to be."—Judy Schachner, author of Skippyjon Jones
"A funny and pitch-perfect story about independence (and its flipside, loneliness), girl power, and sibling rivalry."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A funny and pitch-perfect story about independence (and its flipside, loneliness), girl power, and sibling rivalry."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A funny and pitch-perfect story about independence (and its flipside, loneliness), girl power, and sibling rivalry."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Spirited and stealthy sibling story."—School Library Journal
"Spirited and stealthy sibling story."—School Library Journal
"Spirited and stealthy sibling story."—School Library Journal
"Ninja Baby is charming in the extreme."—Paul Fleischman, Newbery Medal-winning author of Joyful Noise, Weslandia and The Matchbox Diary
"Ninja Baby is charming in the extreme."—Paul Fleischman, Newbery Medal-winning author of Joyful Noise, Weslandia and The Matchbox Diary
"Ninja Baby is charming in the extreme."—Paul Fleischman, Newbery Medal-winning author of Joyful Noise, Weslandia and The Matchbox Diary
"It's terrific!"—Lane Smith, author of the Caldecott honor books Grandpa Green and The Stinky Cheese Man and the bestsellers Madam President and John, Paul, George Ben.
"It's terrific!"—Lane Smith, author of the Caldecott honor books Grandpa Green and The Stinky Cheese Man and the bestsellers Madam President and John, Paul, George Ben.
"It's terrific!"—Lane Smith, author of the Caldecott honor books Grandpa Green and The Stinky Cheese Man and the bestsellers Madam President and John, Paul, George Ben.
"I love this book! Ninja Baby shines with humor and heart. And, like the book's sibling stars, the words and illustrations are perfectly matched."—Bethanie Murguia, author of Buglette, Snippet, and the Zoe picture book series.
"I love this book! Ninja Baby shines with humor and heart. And, like the book's sibling stars, the words and illustrations are perfectly matched."—Bethanie Murguia, author of Buglette, Snippet, and the Zoe picture book series.
"I love this book! Ninja Baby shines with humor and heart. And, like the book's sibling stars, the words and illustrations are perfectly matched."—Bethanie Murguia, author of Buglette, Snippet, and the Zoe picture book series.
"An over-the-top take on getting a new sibling."-Booklist
"An over-the-top take on getting a new sibling."-Booklist
"An over-the-top take on getting a new sibling."-Booklist
"Watch out for Ninja Baby!"—USA Today
10/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—Born a ninja, Nina exerts her power from the start by karate chopping the doctor. Soft but detailed pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations play up the tongue-in-cheek text on every page, as independent Nina takes control of each situation: "At bedtime, she climbed her crib walls like smoke and vanished. And changing time was hand-to-hand combat. Nina did not like to be helped." This charming setup serves to launch readers and listeners ruthlessly into the story's real drama—Nina gets a sibling. He is a "Kung Fu Master," and here she meets her match. Where Nina has fought for independence, she observes that he seems to be fighting for everyone's attention and winning it. Lonely and very frustrated, she decides to approach the interloper directly, and ultimately the ninja and the Kung Fu Master join forces. One might worry for the parents of such a duo, but in an amusing twist, the last spread alleviates any concern. Clean design with ample white space to showcase the pictures' funny details pairs well with the punchy text, making a nice package for sharing aloud. VERDICT This spirited and stealthy new sibling story is one in which young readers can enjoy the exaggerated premise while their grown-ups can possibly glean some comfort.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
2015-07-27
Ninjas have appeared recently in day cares as well as dojos, but how does a toddler ninja react when she meets the ultimate Kung Fu Master? Nina was born a ninja, a fact apparent when she karate-chops the doctor who gives her bottom a gentle, welcoming thump. In no time she's mastered the arts of the sneak attack (purloining doughnuts), vanishing (scaling the mobile above her crib), and hand-to-hand combat (diaper changes—need we say more?). All is more or less well until time goes by, and another ninja baby enters the home. Nina notes that the baby is clearly a Master by the way he disarms his captors and makes them carry him everywhere. After a quick tantrum, Nina realizes that she has a thing or two to learn from her equal in the ninja arts. Parents will naturally understand Zeltser's wry metaphor, but the book is also an original take on the ways in which children may cope with new baby siblings (in this case, emulating their siblings' more cuddly aspects). All the while, Goode's sublime ink-and-watercolor drawings keep the violence in check and render even the most malicious tantrum nothing short of a magnificent exercise in technique. The image of Nina and the baby standing together, fists up for combat, is both hysterical and adorable. Stalking undetected into your heart, this book effectively feeds the ninja need. (Picture book. 4-7)
