Chibi Samurai Wants a Pet (Little Kunoichi #2)

PreS-Gr 2--In this follow-up to Little Kunoichi, the Ninja Girl, Chibi Samurai envies his friend's close relationship with her pet, the stupendous Ninja Bunny. Bunny and Little Kunoichi do many things together, causing Chibi to observe that: "A pet is a friend and a snuggly companion." With map in hand, he sets off on a quest to find the perfect pet. The potential pets he considers are a hilarious mix of mythological and real, including a giant salamander, tanuki, water-dwelling kappa, macaque monkey, crane, and baby sasquatch. Each is unsuitable: the mischievous tanuki transforms into a fast car and zooms off; while the stinky, slimy kappa has a bad attitude toward humans. Cheered on by Little Kunoichi and Bunny, Chibi finally finds the perfect pet: a stag beetle, prized in Japan for its strength and loyalty. This surprise conclusion is likely to send readers flipping back through the pages for beetles and other clever details concealed among the illustrations. The watercolor art with pen and ink whimsically complement this well-told tale. A helpful page of factoids adds information on the Japanese animals and references in the story. VERDICT This delightful text expands on the fun and whimsy of the previous book and will leave readers eager for more adventures with Chibi and Little Kunoichi. --Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA