June 23, 2023
PreS-Gr 1-Nathaniel loves ninjas and has been dressing like one all summer; all of his friends have started calling him Ninja Nate. But Nate's friends don't know the real reason he's been wearing his ninja costume. Over the summer, Nate lost his leg in an accident and wears prosthetic, using a cane to walk. Nate is nervous about his first day of fifth grade. Will his friends treat him differently? Nate's older brother and parents help him to regain confidence and find a happy medium between Ninja Nate and Nathaniel. With the help of his friends at school and the encouragement of his family, Nate finds that taking off his mask isn't as bad as he thought. Sheppard's choice not to reveal Nate's disability right away allows readers to connect with him as a character without defining him by his disability. However, this choice also leaves the story feeling a little disjointed. The loving support shown to Nate by his parents and older brother is a high point. Paul's comic-style illustrations add excitement to the story and play into the ninja theme. Overall, a decent pick for children living with a disability or for classroom discussions on disability. VERDICT The quick acceptance of Nate by his classmates serves as a wonderful example of celebrating differences in a diverse school environment. Recommended for libraries lacking disability representation in their collections. Otherwise, an additional purchase.-Jillian Girardeau
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2023
A boy with a ninja alter ego battles the first day of school. Ten-year-old "ninja master" Nathaniel Brown has been rocking his green ninja suit all summer; accordingly, his friends dub him Ninja Nate. He deems his older brother, Charlie, his sensei, but the boss is Mama Mary, who nurtures her ninjas "between snack-time rumbles and play-time fumbles." When he's not performing feats of "play-jitsu" with his silver sword, battling butterflies and deflecting sprinkler sprays, Nate chills like any other kid. The night before the first day of school, Ninja Nate dreams of combating "a gazillion nefarious ninjas" intent on conquering Potato Chip Dip Mountain. But he wakes to a harsher reality. After an accident, his leg was replaced by a prosthesis, which his costume has concealed; his sword is a sticker-dotted cane. Will his classmates accept the "new" Nathaniel? When he heeds Mama Mary's advice--"One step at a time"--he discovers that his racially diverse classmates admire both Ninja Nate's "cool ninja moves" and Nathaniel's intelligence and kindness. While their ready acceptance of his limb difference is reassuring, the resolution feels somewhat rushed; readers battling similar anxieties may wish for more details. Bold, animated comic-style text and illustrations immerse readers in Nathaniel's vivid imagination while sympathetically conveying his apprehension and family members' and friends' support. Nathaniel and his family are Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An upbeat introduction to limb difference. (Picture book. 4-8)
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October 9, 2023
In this conversational telling from Sheppard and Paul, Nathaniel Brown is a “ninja master. Or so he thinks.” All summer, he carries a silver sword and dresses like a ninja (he “eats, plays, and sleeps in his ninja suit”), and his friends begin calling him “Ninja Nate.” Before the first day of school, Nate dreams of “a land of a gazillion nefarious ninjas” and fights to keep them from Potato Chip Dip Mountain. Awakening from the dream reveals the 10-year-old’s reality: following an accident, “a new robotic leg was where his human leg used to be,” and his shiny-sticker-covered sword “would always be a walking cane.” As he contemplates starting school, concerned about what other kids will think about the “new” him, his family, including his “sensei” big brother, offers support that helps him to “rock” as both Ninja Nate and as Nathaniel. Bright-hued comics-style art gives the story an action-packed vibe and lends imaginative appeal to an affirming story of one child navigating change with the support of loved ones. Ages 4–8.