From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 3—Ninjas are supposed to be silent and stealthy. This creates problems for Wink, a ninja in training who has a flamboyant streak. The desire to be in the spotlight causes Master Zutsu to send him home several times with admonishments that read like proverbs: "The loudest cricket is the first to be caught" and "The blossom that flaunts its color is soon plucked." Wink's grandmother tries to cheer him up and shares a few proverbial sayings of her own, including "Time spent laughing is time well spent" and "Sometimes a worry must rest." After a particularly disastrous outing to the panda pen at the zoo, Wink encounters a boy practicing acrobatic tricks and realizes that he has found his special talent. This charming story ends with Master Zutsu and Grandmother receiving tickets to the Lucky Dragon Circus. After watching Wink, aka "the Nimble Ninja," perform, Grandmother remarks, "Your smile has come home." Phillipps's debut is an auspicious one. The story's oft-told message of acceptance has been invigorated with originality and humor. The collage-style illustrations often appear to have a three-dimensional effect and Wink practically bounds off the pages with barely contained energy. The rich colors and textures contribute to the setting and complement the action nicely. This flashy picture book is sure to appeal to a wide audience.—
Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Apparently even the world’s most efficient and ruthless killing machines can be the subject of a cute fitting-in lesson. Little Wink, after being admitted to the Summer Moon School for Young Ninjas, finds that his constant need to be noticed is decidedly at odds with the ninja’s primary tenet of stealth. He repeatedly fails his lessons, and when he finally masters the art of not being seen, he realizes that no one can see how good of a ninja he is being, so he raises a ruckus. Eventually, Wink finds that his acrobatic skills and theatrical sensibility are a perfect match to be a circus performer known as the Nimble Ninja. Phillipps’ ebullient and multipatterned cut-paper artwork bears a strong resemblance to the animation style of South Park, though more sophisticated and with a Japanese flavor, and, definitely, much less crass. Use the offbeat ninja angle as a hook to instill in children the lesson to embrace your own best qualities and not to be dogged down by those who stifle self-expression. Preschool-Grade 2. --Ian Chipman
