Today is National Ninja Day! Celebrate By Sharing LITTLE KUNOICHI, THE NINJA GIRL by Sanae Ishida with Your Child (Book Review)

Disclosure: I was sent a book from the publisher in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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“Ishida’s lovely watercolor illustrations stand out and add charm and depth to this playful tale. It is refreshing to see a young girl ninja instead of the male ninjas so often portrayed in picture books.” —School Library Journal

“Gorgeous watercolors, (and a) great message.” —Good Housekeeping

Did you know that today was National Ninja Day?  If it wasn't for an opportunity to review a cute children's book with my girls, I would never have known.  But, now that we have LITTLE KUNOICHI, THE NINJA GIRL by Sanae Ishida, we are making today all about being a ninja.  The girls will be dressing up as their favorite ninja ---Savannah will be a black ninja and Bella will be Donny, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  And, we will be doing fun worksheets I found online for homeschool that feature ninjas for math and a writing exercise.  Then, to end the day, we will snuggle up in bed and read LITTLE KUNOICHI, THE NINJA GIRL.  Even though we have only had this book for a short time, it has become a favorite amongst my girls, and one they will ask me to read at bedtime, or they will even pick up and flip through the pages, retelling their own story. 

Here is more about LITTLE KUNOICHI, THE NINJA GIRL, in case you weren't familiar with this children's book by Sanae Ishida.

This is a sweet story of a young ninja-in-training, who discovers her new Super Secret School for Ninjas is a bit tougher than she imagined.  Inspired by tiny Chibi Samurai’s practice and skills, she works harder than ever and makes a friend. Together, they show the power of perseverance, hard work, and cooperation when they wow the crowd at the Island Festival. Ninja skills don’t come easily to Little Kunoichi. She needs determination—and a special friend—to unleash her power!

This book is all about overcoming challenges, with an extra dose of girl-power thrown in for good measure. Plus, Ishida (who is Japanese American) has included extensive resources in the back of the book to share some fun facts and tidbits about Japanese culture.

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I love how this story not only shared a positive message for young girls about persevering and never giving up for what you, but that the author also added fun facts about Japanese culture and even shared how to correctly say a word -- if not, I would have messed them up for sure.   

The first time I read this book to my girls, they got so excited.  They leaped off the couch and looked in their dress up area for their ninja costumes so that they could pretend they were Little Kunoichi practicing their ninja moves.  They really got into the story and couldn't wait to act it out, or at least pretend to be masked ninjas.  After that, the girls continued to ask to read the story, or would ask about Japanese culture after this book and the facts shared sparked their interest in this culture.  Because of this, I couldn't wait for today to come, as I had planned a fan Ninja Day for homeschool.  Like I shared earlier, I found math and writing sheets with a ninja theme, but I also found these cute crafts that we will be doing, along with a fun ninja snack I will be surprising the girls with. 

Source: Molly Moo Crafts

Source: Happy Hoooligans

Source: I Heart Crafty Things

And, for snack time...

Source: Halle Cake

Source: Brisbane Kids

Who knew that a book and a national holiday -- well maybe not a well known one -- could make learning about Japanese culture and life of a ninja so much fun.  :-)

Even if you can't get your hands on this book today, why not consider picking it up to share with them some other day.  Yes, today is National Ninja Day, but heck, I love celebrating days like this all month (and year) long. :-)

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About the Author:

Sanae Ishida grew up drawing princesses, reading Japanese comic books, and writing stories she never shared with anyone. She enjoyed stints in wide-ranging fields, including illustration, education, technology, retail, and theater arts. When not creating on the page, she designs children’s clothing, and overly shares stories on her website. She lives in Seattle with her husband and daughter.

Book Info:

8-1/4 x 8-1/4; $16.99

32 pages

Release date: May 5, 2015

ISBN: 9781570619540

Formats: Hardcover

Disclosure: I was sent a book from the publisher in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.