May 11, 2015
A rabbit attempts to follow its dream of becoming a ninja in this quirky testament to friendship and the difficulty of going it alone. Dressed in inky blue ninja gear, the rabbit gamely tackles the instructions in a book entitled How to Be a Super Awesome Ninja, but they prove to be harder than they sound. Olson's (The Good Dog) text sticks to the book's 10 key rules, while her ink-and-watercolor illustrations demonstrate the gulf between the book's mandates and the rabbit's actual skills. The wannabe ninja's attempt to follow the second rule, "You must be super sneaky," falls through when it steps on a rake while raiding a garden's carrots, and it doesn't exactly "achieve invisibility" with its ears sticking out from behind a bush. Rule 10 ("A super awesome ninja must battle anyone anywhere anytime alone") and an encounter with a humongous bear have the bunny rethinking the guidebook's advice; luckily, its "super awesome friends" help save the day. Sweetly humorous fun for readers working on their own "hi-yahs." Ages 3â7. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.
May 1, 2015
K-Gr 2-Little Bunny has 10 rules about how to be a super awesome ninja with the most important one being that a super awesome ninja must work alone. But when a bear comes rumbling in and challenges Little Bunny, he learns a valuable lesson that all super awesome ninjas need to know-the value of having super awesome friends. Complemented by ink and watercolor illustrations, the text consists of Ninja Bunny's various rules. Readers watch Little Bunny master the art of invisibility (by hiding behind a bush), create ninja weapons (out of carrots), and learn the art of flying (by falling out of a tree). Children will love reading about Little Bunny's adventures. VERDICT A fun addition, especially where ninjas are popular.-Paige Garrison, Aurora Central Public Library, CO
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2015
A primer on how to be a ninja, especially if you are a bunny. This rabbit has a goal and so consults a book entitled How to Be a Super Awesome Ninja. In a blue, full-body ninja suit with mask, the bunny demonstrates each rule. "A super awesome ninja must always work alone," says Rule 1, so the blue-clad rabbit deserts the other bunnies, who quirk eyebrows in a great range of emotion from skeptical and annoyed to concerned and sad. Pictures show the difference between each rule on paper and the rabbit's success. There might have been "super sneaky" success in a nighttime carrot garden but for the danger of a waiting rake. A ninja must "achieve invisibility," but the bunny ears sticking out of that bush are pretty identifiable. Pinned upside down to a branch, balancing on one foot at the top of a pointy pine, or plunging through the air-rather, "master[ing] the ability to fly"-this child-shaped bunny is hilarious. Olson's ink-and-watercolor illustrations make dramatic use of scale, white space, and the contrast between curved lines and straight, blocky lines. When an enormous enemy shows up and forces a re-evaluation of Rule 1, the suspense is simultaneously real and funny, and the bear's sudden change in scale reveals the power of a group working together. Sure to inspire some new ninja bunnies. (Picture book. 3-7)
July 1, 2015
A bunny in full ninja attire does things by the book -- the How to Be a Super Awesome Ninja book, that is. Beginning with Rule 1: A super awesome ninja must always work alone, our hero stealthily demonstrates a ninja's essential qualities, including Rule 3: [must] possess incredible strength and Rule 6: [must] know how to escape. While the text is an effectively paced recitation of the rules, Olson's nimble ink-and-watercolor illustrations inject some slapstick humor into the bunny's performance. Rule 2: You must be super sneaky shows the bunny furtively harvesting carrots under the cover of darkness, with gaze fixed behind and foot poised above the business end of a rake. Turn the page and -- ooof -- it's the old rake-handle-in-the-face bit. The Ninja Bunny perseveres until Rule 10 ( must battle anyone, anywhere, anytime, alone ), when a massive, fierce-looking bear threatens the little ninja. A bear's-eye-view illustration looking down at the clearly overpowered bunny is very effective and reveals that this rabbit isn't alone: a bunch of non-ninja bunny friends have their pal's back. Time to act on ninja instinct and improvise: Rule 1: A super awesome ninja needs super awesome friends! Yes, the message is a tad hackneyed, but it's worth repeating, especially for little ninjas-in-training. Hi-yah! kitty Flynn
(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)