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"A ninja sneaks, creeps, tumbles, hides, and is fast on his feet…" ~ from Arree Chung's Ninja!
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| The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein"Meow?" When his cat, Sylvie, disturbs the quiet of his bedroom, a sleeping boy awakes. Despite the early morning hour, Sylvie wants to go outside, so the boy follows her through the gray murkiness of his darkened house and out into the yard. There, the boy can see the shadows of animals, all gazing with anticipation at the black, star-speckled sky. What are they waiting for? The answer arrives in the form of a far-off glow, which soon grows into brilliant sunshine, flooding the yard with light and color. Young readers will be spellbound by this "delightful celebration of night and sunrise" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Float by Daniel MiyaresNo words are needed in this minimal yet vivid picture book. After making a newspaper boat with his dad, a little boy puts on his yellow raincoat and runs outside to play. The boy's puddle-jumping joy is infectious…as is his sadness when the boat is washed away. Back at home, though, he finds a hug, dry clothes, and a new paper craft to try. Kids may be inspired by this young maker's creative play (as well as by the folding instructions included on the book's inside covers). For another stormy day story starring a raincoat-clad kid, pick up Ezra Jack Keats' classic A Letter to Amy. |
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| One Family by George Shannon; illustrated by Blanca Gómez In this interactive picture book, kids are asked to consider "just how many things can 'one' be?" Here, "one" is definitely a family, and similar to Mary Hoffman's The Great Big Book of Families, One Family's chunky, winsome illustrations show family groups of diverse ages, ethnic backgrounds, and genders. In addition to these warm family portraits, the book also introduces the concept of many things in one -- such as five people in a family, or three pears in a bowl -- and reinforces it with sets of objects and people for kids to count. Destined for repeated readings, One Family "sends the message that everyone counts" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood; illustrated by Meg HuntWhat if Cinderella left behind not a slipper, but a socket wrench? In this retro-modern retelling set in space, Cinderella is a rocket mechanic who's left behind when her family goes to the Royal Space Parade. With some tools and a sparkly spacesuit from her fairy godrobot, however, Cinderella makes her own way to the parade, where she wins not the prince's hand, but a job as his chief mechanic. Blending science fiction and fairy tales, Interstellar Cinderella will entertain young readers of all kinds. Looking for more stereotype-busting princess stories? Try Shannon Hale's The Princess in Black or Kate Beaton's The Princess and the Pony. |
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| What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig by Emma J. VirjánAs if the rhyming title and boldly colored cover weren't enough to clue in readers, this story dives directly into silliness. It begins with the eponymous pig standing in a spotlight to don her red beehive wig. Then she hops into a boat in a moat, which quickly becomes crowded from picking up a frog, a dog, and a goat on a log… With all the cumulative craziness of Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and offbeat humor of Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series, this easy-to-understand book (the 1st in a new series) is sure to elicit boatloads of giggles from beginning readers. |
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| Ninja! by Arree ChungMaxwell knows that being a ninja takes courage, stealth, and the right equipment. Clad in black (except for a necktie headband and rubber gloves) and well-armed (with a jump rope and a pool cue), Maxwell is intent on his covert objective: to steal his little sister's milk and cookies. As he prowls through the house, his serious narration is undercut by the goofy, comic book-style antics shown in the illustrations. Even after he's caught and "dishonored" (sent to his room), kids will root for the irrepressible Maxwell and his belief that no matter what, a ninja "must believe in his ability to rebound." |
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| Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta; illustrated by Ed YoungSneaking silently through the stillness of a sleeping house, a ninja is intent on a treasure hunt. Through shadowy, dynamic paper-and-fabric collages, he stealthily leaps, prowls, creeps, and clambers toward his goal. Immersed in the quiet darkness of the journey, readers will be startled when the lights suddenly flash on, revealing the ninja's true identity. Though he's busted before he can complete his mission, the cozy resolution to this quietly suspenseful tale is satisfying enough that kids won't mind. Once quiet time is over, ninja fans may also enjoy the flashier Ninja, Ninja, Never Stop! by Todd Tuell. |
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| The Boy Who Cried Ninja by Alex LatimerYoung Tim is telling the truth when he reports that a ninja ate the last slice of cake and a giant squid devoured his book bag -- and he still gets punished! So, Tim takes the fall for the pirate who guzzles all the tea and the sunburned crocodile who breaks the TV antenna...but he ends up doing extra chores for lying, too. Then, Tim has a stroke of genius that wins his parent's apologies and results in a great party. With quirky, drily hilarious cartoon illustrations, this "cheerful, lightly subversive" (Booklist) twist on an old folk tale is tons of fun. |
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| Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed by J.C. PhillipsIn this new take on the "be yourself" theme, boisterous Wink eagerly begins his training at a school for young ninjas, only to discover that being stealthy and invisible goes against his grain. He tries, but he just can't bring himself to blend in -- he wants to be noticed. After many failures and a chance meeting with a member of a circus troupe, Wink finally finds his true calling (hint: it involves juggling fire sticks while balancing on a bamboo pole). Bold, textured collage illustrations vault this gleeful, exuberant tale over the top. |
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| Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz; illustrated by Dan SantatAfter being defeated in The Three Ninja Pigs, the hungry, frustrated wolf is back. Now that the pigs have taught martial arts to the other animals, the wolf can't catch a meal, so he sneaks into a dojo to pick up some skills himself. Returning to the hunt with fresh confidence, the wolf encounters tempting new prey: Little Red Riding Hood, on her way to Gran's. One little girl can't possibly be a match for a big, bad wolf…can she? Cartoony action, exaggerated expressions, and lively rhymes make Ninja Red Riding Hood an energetic, crowd-pleasing read-aloud. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
Durham, North Carolina 27701
919-560-0100
durhamcountylibrary.org
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