The Ninjabread Man

by C J Leigh (Author) Chris Gall (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

The ninja animals try to outsmart him, but the Ninjabread Man is one tough cookie!  Try, try, as best as you can, you can't beat me, I'm the Ninjabread Man!

In this fun spinoff of the classic Gingerbread Man story, Sensei makes an age-old recipe for ninjabread. But the cookie escapes from the oven and runs loose! Can the Ninjabread Man trick Ninja Bear, Ninja Snake, Ninja Mouse, and Ninja Fox? In the end, the clever Ninja Fox outsmarts the Ninjabread Man.

This action-packed ninja adventure features a wise sensei, adorable ninja animals, and one hard-to-catch cookie -- all brought to life by award-winning Dinotrux illustrator Chris Gall!

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Publishers Weekly

A sensei bakes a gingerbread cookie treat for his animal pupils, but the ninja cookie who emerges from the oven has other ideas, as every fan of this cumulative tale knows. In Leigh's pseudonymously written version, the Ninjabread Man runs toward, rather than away from, the other characters, challenging each one to a fight and winning ("Try, try as best as you can, you can't beat me, I'm the Ninjabread Man!") until a fox dispatches the cookie by maintaining his meditative cool. Leigh's story is at its best when it's taking advantage of the comedic disconnect between action-movie seriousness and yummy baked goods, which extends to both the narration ("Suddenly, a sweet scent filled the night air. Danger was near") and dialogue ("Ninjabread Man!" shouts Ninja Bear. "You will make a mighty morsel!"). Gall's (Little Red's Riding 'Hood) flat compositions, rendered in muted tones, don't really tap into the humor to the same degree, though, and the cast of animal martial artists (which includes both panda and snake characters) can't help but feel like a Kung Fu Panda redux. Ages 3-5. (Sept.)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--This humorous parody of a familiar tale, "The Gingerbread Man," is sure to become a hit with the young martial arts crowd. Sensei makes the ninjabread as a reward for his hardworking students. But when he opens the oven, "KA-POW! Out [leaps] the Ninjabread Man, alive and kicking." Children will relish Gall's large, action-inspired artwork. The rhyme and meter of the phrasing are great fun for reading aloud, with a twist on the well-known line in the climatic scene, "Try, try as best as you can, you can't beat me, I'm the Ninjabread Man!" For those who already know the story, Leigh has created a satisfying concluding page. VERDICT Little ninjas will eat this title up, and primary-age children will enjoy making comparisons with the original tale.--Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes




C J Leigh
C. J. Leigh is a mysterious author of mysterious books for children. He has lived in a lot of mysterious places, but he currently resides in the most mysterious place of all, Brooklyn, New York.
Chris Gall is the illustrator of Little Red's Riding 'Hood and the award-winning author and illustrator of Dinotrux, Substitute Creacher, and Cat vs. Dog. He lives in Tucson, Arizona. Visit him online at www.chrisgall.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780545814300
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
M
Publisher
Orchard Books
Publication date
September 27, 2016
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV012040 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Adaptations
JUV050000 - Juvenile Fiction | Cooking & Food
JUV032070 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Martial Arts
Library of Congress categories
Animals
Ninja
Cookies
Martial arts

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