Stewart Ross

Long ago, in ancient Japan, two ninja warriors had everything they wanted in life, except for a child. So they decided to bake one! Out of the oven leaped a speedy, sneaky, and brave Ninjabread Man... who went on to cause absolute chaos! This hilarious tale will be sure to thrill readers aged 6+.

Twisted Fairy Tales: The Ninjabread Man

Briar's Reviews

Twisted Fairy Tales: The Ninjabread Man is a hilarious book that is a must read!

A lovely couple wants a ninja child to carry on their legacy, but they don't get exactly what they were asking for. After approaching a Crafty Fox, they prepare a Ninjabread Man instead of a child! And chaos ensues. Wherever he goes, Ninjabread Man creates havoc and chaos for everyone... and no one can catch him.

My fun notes:
1. Never trust a fox! It never goes well in children's books. These characters never learn!

2. If you do decide to trust the fox - please - for love of all that's good, write down the instructions. THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

3. Or don't follow the recipe... And see what happens!

My positive notes:
1. This story was super creative and seriously funny. I was grinning along at the hilarious twists on the Gingerbread Man tale. The ending had me chuckling the most because I didn't fully expect that to happen!

2. I think this book would be a great way to introduce young readers to fairy tales or try to put a different spin on one they've already heard. This book is by no means an educational tool, but it is fun! We definitely need more fun books out there to get kids to love reading. Without books like Grandma and the Pirates (a book from my youth), I wouldn't have loved books as much! I was given far too many educational only books in my youth. This sort of book (packed full of fun and goofy story lines) will create some lifelong readers.

I don't have many criticisms for this book. My only note would be for parents and educators to be aware that this book was designed for fun. You could totally spin some sort of educational tool out of it, but that's not the purpose of this book. And thank goodness for that!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing for a free copy of this sweet little fairy tale!