Ninja Baby

Title: Ninja Baby 
Author: David Zeltser  
Illustrator: Diane Goode 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: November 3rd, 2015 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: From the day she was born, Nina was a ninja baby. She obliterated her applesauce. She concealed herself at bath time. And she was training herself in advanced infiltration (of movie night). Nina wants to do everything by herself, until the day her parents bring home a Kung Fu Master (a baby brother). Now with a sibling, Nina will face the one thing she cannot do alone: be part of a family. With verve and humor, David Zeltser and Diane Goode tell the story of an unusually gifted child, and the family that is more than a match for her. 
What I Think: I was five with my little sister was born. I don't really remember being jealous of her but I'm sure I was to a certain extent. Having a new baby in the house definitely brings changes, especially for an only child who is more than happy to be the center of attention. Ninja Baby is definitely the master of her domain...until her little brother shows up. There are so many times when the text in Ninja Baby works with the illustration and vice versa. Readers definitely have to pay attention to all the clues, making this a great book for a close read. There is a fantastic twist at the end which reminds me of One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo with illustrations by David Small.
Read Together: Grades K - 3 
Read Alone: Grades K - 3 
Read With: One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo with illustrations by David Small, Grandpa Green by Lane Smith, Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds with illustrations by Peter Brown 
Snatch of Text:    

"When Nina was born, the doctor gently thumped

her bottom to make sure she was breathing.

Nina karate chopped her right back.

'Congratulations,' said the doctor, backing away.

'You have a ninja baby.'"

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you had something to teach someone and something that they could teach you.
Topics Covered: Family, Siblings, Relationships

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