Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed [Hardcover]

J.C. Phillipps (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 19, 2009 | Age Range: 3 - 5 years | Lexile Measure: 520L (What's this?)

The happiest day of Wink?s life was when he was accepted to the Summer Moon School for Young Ninjas. He is sure that he will be a great ninja. Silence is the fi rst lesson and everyone is very very silent . . . except for Wink. Stealth is the second lesson and everyone is very very stealthy . . . except for Wink. Finally, Wink decides that he will be silent and stealthy. But no one notices! What?s the point of being a great ninja if no one notices? Maybe Wink wasn?t meant to be a ninja?

This daring debut is an adventure-lover?s dream.

Editorial Reviews

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
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From Booklist

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 5 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (March 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670010928
• ISBN-13: 978-0670010929
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.4 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Sports > Martial Arts

More About the Author

It all started with a Halloween costume. A boy in a bright red ninja costume was hopping around, waving his arms, and my husband remarked, "That's a ninja who wants to be noticed."

Three years later, my first picture book, Wink the Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed was published.

If you liked the first Wink book, perhaps you'd enjoy the second, Wink, The Ninja Who Wanted to Nap. Also, I have a third non-ninja book coming out in March 2013, Monkey Ono.

I'm a busy mom, wife, artist, writer, illustrator, and cat owner. The sled:person ratio in our house is 3:1, and I own the world's cheapest and most un-cool cell phone. I am a hella good baker and a hella bad housekeeper. To see what I'm up to visit my blog: www.ninjawoman.blogspot.com or my website: www.jcphillipps.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant Favorite... Hurray for Wink! October 16, 2010

By Lisa J Bizzell

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My son wants to be a Ninja for Halloween. We also have a "literature parade" at school where the kids choose a character from a book and then dress up like them for the parade (also at halloween time), but he character cannot be violent or scary. Wink is perfect!! This book is absolutely adorable and both my 6-year-old son and my 10-year-old daughter loved it. Wink learns to make lemons out of lemonade when he realizes he doesn't want to be "stealthy". Anyone who has a k-2 boy understands that they just can't be quiet or sit still and Wink is no different. Notice the drapes in Grandmother's house? Cute!! Cute!! Cute!! And a lesson, be true to yourself and the person you are. Lovely! BTW, we purchased this book used and it arrived in perfectly new condition at half the price (from an amazon seller).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yahoo for Wink! March 31, 2009

By Natalie Lorenzi

Format:Hardcover

The first time I read this book to my children and finished the last page, my 3-year-old didn't hesitate: "Again," he said. "I love that Wink," my 6-year-old added. "She did all that art herself?" my 9-year-old asked of J.C. Phillipps, Wink's author and illustrator. Wink's story really does have something for everyone--humor, a sympathetic main character, stealthy ninja moves, fresh and engaging art, and reassurance that kids can (and should) be who they want to be. Kudos to J.C. Phillipps for creating a story that I look forward to reading well after after the bazillionth request from my kids!

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Fun Book for Those Who Don't Want to Follow the Crowd March 27, 2013

By Sean G.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got this book for my ninja-obsessed son. However I was pleasantly surprised to find the book had more to do with being an individual and following your own path in life. I'm not sure he got it but he enjoyed the story anyway. The illustrations are fantastic.