Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On a "super secret island" in a "super super secret village," a ninja girl in training, Little Kunoichi, is struggling at school. Newcomer Ishida draws plenty of humor out of Little Kunoichi's situation: "Should have worn the black one," reads a caption next to an image of Little Kunoichi standing against a brick wall while wearing a not-so-stealthy magenta ninja uniform (even her pet rabbit remembered to wear a black one). But Ishida's playful narrative and folk art-like paintings convey significant empathy for Little Kunoichi, never having too much fun at her expense (even when she hits a wild boar with a shuriken, instead of her target). Working with Chibi Samurai, a boy whose studies are proving similarly daunting, the children shugyo (train "like crazy") to put on a showstopping performance at the Island Festival. Capping a warm, funny, and encouraging story line about the value of hard work and dedication, Ishida includes an array of information in the endnotes, expanding on references in the text and art to sumo wrestling, ninja training, and other aspects of Japanese language and culture. Ages 3-7. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Little Kunoichi is a ninja girl who lives and trains on a super secret island where she is not doing so well at learning her ninja skills until she meets a young samurai-in-training who inspires her to practice harder. Together, they perform at the Island Festival and although everything does not go perfectly, they have a wonderful time and are able to show off all of their new skills. Ishida's lovely watercolor illustrations stand out and add charm and depth to this playful tale. There is humor to be found hidden in the pictures and children will be able to pour over them, taking in detail, for a long time. The end contains notes titled "Did you know?" that cover various aspects of Japanese culture that can be found throughout the book, including information about words in the story, like Kunoichi, games, clothing, and ninjas. It is refreshing to see a young girl ninja instead of the male ninjas so often portrayed in picture books. The tale's message of practice does not always have to equal perfection will resonate with young readers. VERDICT A fun title with great appeal.-Sharon McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A little ninja girl finds her training (climbing, hiding, star-throwing, nunchucks) not so easy. When she meets a little boy having the same trouble learning to be a samurai, they decide to shugyo together--train like crazy--for the upcoming Island Festival. Humor in both the lively text and colorful art adds lots of appeal to this adept lesson in perseverance. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
For Little Kunoichi, ninja school is hard, but with practice, friendship, and humor, she flies high at the Island Festival.Tucked away on a secret island, Little Kunoichi lives with her ninja family, attending a supersecret ninja girls' school. But scaling cliffs and using nunchucks and throwing stars don't come easy. Everything changes when she spies Chibi Samurai, a small boy with middling skills, practicing with great determination. Inspired, Little Kunoichi applies herself, and when the two meet, their dedication to shugyo ("training like crazy") makes their friendship bloom. Together they prepare for the Island Festival, where they wow the crowd and grow in confidence (despite a lost ninja star or two). Ishida cleverly and drolly promotes the virtues of hard work, imagination, and play. There is much to intrigue both genders, from silly jokes and pink dragons to swordplay and cunning. Beautiful, vivid pops of colorat once both gentle and vibrantfill the spreads. The lovely paint-on-paper illustrations have a winning honesty and whimsy. From the text to the artwork, everything about Little Kunoichi's life and culture is made to feel special. This thoughtfulness extends to the backmatter, as a concluding page explains Japanese words and cultural references. Stunning artwork, full of warmth and pizazz, presents a lovable heroine who will win hearts with her perseverance and humor. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
