Little Kunoichi the Ninja Girl
(Little Kunoichi #1)

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)

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