06 Dec / Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta, illustrated by Ed Young
The draw here (couldn’t resist, ahem!) is the ever-spectacular art of Caldecott Medal-winner Ed Young, this time using “cut paper, textured cloth, string, and colored pencil” to give dramatic motion to Barbara DaCosta‘s debut kiddie title.
As the clock strikes midnight and everyone sleeps, the nighttime ninja climbs, clambers, balances, and leaps toward his ultimate goal. But before he can accomplish his oh-so-secret mission, the lights flash on … and he’s confronted by none other than … his mother (!!!!) … who assigns him a very different mission instead. Awww …
Surely we all know a night-creeper or two (some people never seem to sleep in our house!). Certainly they don’t need any more inspiration for trekking out in the wee hours! And perhaps sharing such a delightful adventure might make the bedtime ritual last a little longer, but rest assured, DaCosta’s instructions story with Young’s visual enhancements is well worth the risk.
To check out other Ed Young titles on BookDragon, click here.
Readers: Children
Published: 2012