Ninja! With Read Along Cd

Ninja! #1

by Arree Chung

A ninja must be strong, courageous, and silent! He creeps through the house on a secret mission. There may be obstacles! But have no fear—a true ninja can overcome all challenges. Includes read along CD!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Storytime, Family, Fiction, Adventure

Audio CD

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

Arree Chung makes picture books but he didn’t always do so. Once he made spreadsheets all day long and he decided that he wanted to make pictures instead. Arree learned how to draw, paint and think a little bit differently at Art Center College of Design.

Arree is represented by Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content. http://www.rpcontent.com

Lots of cool stuff at: http://arree.com

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny acts of stealth around the house - great art!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ninja! by Arree Chung is hilarious and sweet. Yes, sweet! Ninjas can be sweet! :D

Our story unfolds in pages divided into action packed sequences. Pages that have almost a comic book feel to them. Big, clear images come together frame by frame showing just how dangerous the path to the cookie jar can be! Movement and danger around every corner! Sneaky don’t-make-a-sound moves, sticky gloves, and sleeping Dads all add to the fun--bringing the ways of the Ninja alive.

”Against all odds, he must believe in his ability to rebound and overcome all challenges.”

A very fun read!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ninja needs special skills and special tools, as the narrator of this tongue-in-cheek picture-book informs us, chronicling his own super-secret ninja mission. Whether it's sneaking up on his snoozing father or stealing some milk and cookies from his baby sister, a ninja has to be able to make himself invisible, and get in and out of a room quickly...

The first book that author/artist Arree Chung both wrote and illustrated, Ninja! is an entertaining look at a young boy's imaginative world. Although I never imagined myself as a ninja when I was a girl, I certainly engaged in quite a bit of make-believe role-playing, taking on the role of everything from princess to pirate, so I found this tale both amusing and relatable, and I imagine that many young children will do likewise. The artwork, created with acrylic paint, found paper and Photoshop, works well with the text. All in all, a fun picture-book, one I would recommend to anyone looking for children's stories about ninjas, or about a youngster's imaginative games.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Dan Santant's ninja folktales, a little boy uses the way of the ninja to overcome obstacles in his home. Love the 4th page from the end! Is it just me, or do the noses look weird?

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randomly picked this up when I was bored behind the Circ desk and OMG - it's my new favorite. Cute, funny, ACTION PACKED.

And really, aren't we ALL on a mission to capture cookies and milk?

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, um, it was okay. The end.

[Hudson]

low taper fade.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noah seems to quite enjoy the comic book layout of this book and the creeping up in daddy part, but loses interest towards the end as the boy becomes mean (stealing from his baby sister).

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the story, illustrations and layout.
Chung tells the story from the perspective of a young ninja, who must conquer beasts, overcome obstacles and capture cookies and milk! I love the verbs and ninja descriptions!
The illustrations are fantastic - kids will love the bright colors and simple illustrations. The details are in the added parts to certain scenes - ninja-like backgrounds are etched in to the backgrounds. My absolute favorite spread is the ninja in a black background with the words "I am dishonored." It's hilarious.
The layout is almost like an early comic. Frames that highlight different descriptions or actions.
This is a book I will be adding to my collection!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a young boy moves stealthily through the house in ninja fashion, he is successful until his baby sister spots him as he sips milk and munches some cookies. I like how vividly his movements are depicted--and I love the idea of his being willing to pass on to his sister the ways of the ninja. Together, they ought to make an awesome pair. the illustrations, created from acrylics, found paper, and then Photoshopped, are filled with imaginative scenes from the life of a young ninja.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy lives a rich fantasy life as a ninja and he shares his suggestions for becoming an awesome ninja in this playful book. Rich language and active word choices will make this a great read aloud.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too dang cute!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun for young ninja wannabes everywhere.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

CUTE! The comic-book-panel style illustration miiight be tricky to share in story time, but I think it's perfect enough in all other ways to give it a try.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Ninja needs to read this book! Or at least aspiring Ninja's! Especially if you have a baby sister! Fun, colorful, just waiting to be read. Arree Chung keeps you wanting to turn the pages.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book goes through all the things one needs to be a ninja. It shows a young boy playing a ninja going through a couple different missions.

Good for preschool storytimes.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great imaginary play story of a little boy as a ninja. Illustrations by Chung are reminiscent of Disney, Pixar or Dan Santat. Looking forward to more books by Chung.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Well, we’ve done it! One whole year of reading! Thanks so much for all your support! We’ll be posting this one last review today, then we’re taking a week off for some family time, but we’ll be right back on Father’s Day with a special book. As for today, we’ve read Ninja! by Arree Chung, a playful tale of make-believe.

The tools of the ninja? Silent shoes, sticky gloves, unbreakable rope (a jump rope will do). The powers the ninja must display? Speed, stealth, strength, courage. And so young Ninja Maxwell learns as he dons his costume and explores his home, wrestling mighty beasts (the family mastiff), practicing the art of surprise (on his napping dad), and utilizing a ninja’s stealth to swipe his little sister’s snack. His powers get him into trouble for the latter, but Maxwell owns up to his misbehavior, instead promising to teach the ways of the ninja to the next generation, his baby sister.

This was a cute book that took a very specific subject and had a lot of fun with it. Maxwell’s home-made ninja tools and outfit, and his immersion into his game of make-believe, are full of the childhood rambunctious yet ingenious mischief all children love. Plus, him getting carried away with his ninja skills and inadvertently causing his sister to cry, followed by his genuine remorse and attempt at reconciliation, is a nice lesson about remembering the difference between playing pretend and real-world consequences. The comic-book style art is fun and makes each page feel dramatic and action-packed, and the length is good for even the littlest bookworms. We liked this one, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Christina Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, who doesn't want to be a ninja? I've seen first hand from my own kids their creative ninja moves, equipment, and outfits (mostly all clad in black, you know for stealth missions), and I think that's a big part of why I enjoyed this book; because it speaks to the ambition of countless children. Arree Chung's Ninja! provides tips, tricks, and even a list of necessary supplies for any aspiring ninja. And I have to admit that Maxwell's moves are pretty impressive. I'm not the only one who thinks so. His sister is watching every move he makes with a glint of admiration in her eye and although she is not thrilled about her brother swiping her cookies as a part of his endeavor, she is, however, ecstatic for the invitation to join in on the fun. Maxwell is a-okay in my book and I can't wait to read more of his stories.

Arree is both author and illustrator. A double dose of talent. What I appreciate most about his art is the use of comic book-ish style panels. I also liked his use of color and that dragon! This is the first book I've read in the Ninja series and I look forward to reading the 2nd and 3rd as well.

[Reade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ninja is a book about a young boy enjoying his fantasy as a ninja. He explains what things you need to do in order to be a ninja. The boy defeats the dog to get to his dad and scare him while he is sleeping. Then the young ninja hides from his mom to steal the cookies and milk from his younger sister. He eventually gets caught by his mom and teaches his younger sister the ways of the ninja.
Book topic ideas
1.) Students could create their own ninja story of what they think you have to do to be a ninja.
2.) Students could also write a story about a normal day with their family and a not so normal day with their family.
3.) Students could draw pictures of them in a ninja costume.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maxwell dresses up as a ninja, then practices his ninja skills. When his mission to steal his little sister's cookies and milk fails, he is banished. Being a ninja, he makes a peace offering to his sister.

This is the prequel to Ninja! Attack of the Clan, which I read first and really enjoyed. But this story doesn't feel fully fleshed out or as satisfying as the sequel. There isn't enough plot or interaction to earn the ending. The sequential art is high quality.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm, Miss 3 wasn't too fussed - possibly not enough ninja sound effects. Fun illustrations though as he stealthily moves around the house and tries to steal cookies. After accidentally upsetting his little sister, he decides to teach her the way of the ninja.

Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy gets his ninja costume on (with some essentials from Dad's closet) and progresses to move, hidden and unseen, through the house to attack the "enemy".

This was such a fun read. In big graphic novel form, this is a story of a boy having a whole bunch of fun imagining himself as a ninja on a nightly mission having to overcome the many obstacles that he encounters! When everything comes to an unexpected end and his baby sister gets hurt, big brother gets in trouble. Does the fun end there?

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/3/2019 ~ I discovered this series when I read a 2018 release by Chung and saw this book mentioned on the flyleaf. Oh the paths we take to discover new-to-us authors!

I loved the imaginative play. I loved the inclusion of Asian (Japanese?) elements (dragons in the background). I did (sort of) want some bit of "don't try this at home"!

I know I have readers who will request this book and it's companions time and time again.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ninja, the art of going undetected and reaching your goals thru strength and cunning. Perfect for Story Time, the illustrations are charming and the action is fast.

Why I started this book: Sitting at the Circulation Desk today and a lot of new books were returned.

Why I finished it: I can't wait to read this to the kids!

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story of a little boy who sneaks around the house like a Ninja. The panel illustrations are perfect in capturing the action.
I was reminded in a couple of the illustrations of David Shannon's, No David! ---something about the open mouth and the ring of teeth.
A fun read aloud for young children.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little boys want to be ninjas. Little boys want to teach their sisters to be ninjas. Little boys want to cause havoc. Delightful and fun read for all ninjas, male and female, to enjoy. The pictures are done almost in graphic novel style (I mean..technically all picture books are, but this one more so). And it really works.

[Sarah Limb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story about a boy who pretends to be a ninja! I liked the illustrations and the comic book kind of feel to the story. Occasionally children's books have an abrupt end and I felt like this one had that. I enjoyed going on the adventure, but the last page needed something more to solidify the ending. Very cute though!

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to pick this up since Arree Chung is currently offering a free picture book making course online. Plus, this was a somewhat popular title at our store. Immediately you get the sense that this will make for a great read-aloud. And I love that it reads like a graphic novel with certain spreads featured in comic strips style. Fun!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boys loved this book - Ninja Maxwell is a very relatable character.

The writing is great. It has a lovely rhythm to it - "a ninja sneaks, creeps, tumbles, hides, and is fast on his feet."

The illustrations are also fun - love the dragon!