Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Ninjas

Ninjas are pretty popular with children today. Disney has a television show about them, Lego® has a complete line of construction sets dedicated to them, and there are several Halloween costume variations on the ninja theme. 
Having a young son, I get to live with a "ninja in training" sometimes.
Shirts are wrapped around the head, leaving only enough space for the eyes to peer through.  Household items become ninja tools for surprise attacks and the furniture is mostly for training purposes.
You might think I'd shy away from books about ninjas...but then I found this one.




Wink, The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed by J. C. Phillipps is a fantastic book for those who love the ninjas and those who don't.  One of the best things about this book is that it never talks about "fighting".  It is both very peaceful and very entertaining.
Wink tries hard to succeed in ninja school by being the most stealthy and silent student, but then he wants everyone to notice just how stealthy and silent he is!  How can he use his talents and be happy too? Sometimes, the thing we really think we want isn't what we want at all. 
This wonderful story about a flamboyant ninja is funny, touching, and hopeful, and it deserves to be noticed.

Art Extension Idea:
Print Making from J.C. Phillipps herself!
Click here to check out the "how to" from her blog post. 
Frame the finished print with a beautiful piece of origami-style paper.
Even preschoolers can make simple prints. Give it a try.

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