Flannel Friday: Five Little Ninjas

Today's flannel is where it's at. I'm really proud of this one! I made up the rhyme, designed the flannel characters, and the kids really enjoyed it.

What am I talking about? Ninjas of course! There's been a influx of awesome ninja-based picture books lately, and I decided to take advantage of that. You can see the whole storytime I planned here, with some inspiration from Falling Flannelboards and Anne's Library Life.

Here's the flannel:

And the rhyme:

Five little ninjas, in their dojo,
Practicing the ninja way
‘Til one little ninja gets his mojo:
“HIYAH! Ready to save the day!”

And each ninja practices and practices, counting down, until they're all ready to save the day. The kids really enjoyed the "HIYAH!" and it got some chuckles from the parents. I hope you like it, too!

.....

Nikki at Hey There Library is hosting the Flannel Friday round-up today. You can also check out the FF website, Pinterest, or Facebook! Or use #flannelstorytime on Twitter!

She Dreamed of Dragons

She Dreamed of Dragons
Elizabeth J. M. Walker

My rating: ★★★½

ASIN: B00N4923OU
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Date of publication: August 27, 2014
Age: Grades 5 - 9
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: friendship, discrimination, power, competition,

Fifteen-year-old Trina is a dragon mage, attending the poor and decrepit mage academy in a country run by the witches and wizards--the same people that hunted dragons and other magical creatures to near extinction. And the same that are withholding financial support from the academy. So when news drifts in about a Royal Tourney, a competition to find the heir to the throne, Trina and her cousin enter--the only mages in the whole competition--with some hope of gaining support for mages. What she doesn't expect is becoming the frontrunner. Nor falling for a wizard.

Walker did a great job with this book in that she captured the dislike between two disgruntled races (wizards and mages), created an altruistic and brave heroine, added a touch of romance, and created an exciting plot. I enjoyed it. However, it did feel a bit lacking in some areas. In terms of character development, I felt that Trina was a little bit too altruistic and innocent, in that it came off a tad unbelievable. Especially for her age Also, I never really felt that the villain in the book was given full depth; I still don't fully understand why it was that she wanted to take over the kingdom. Was it simply that she didn't think the queen was proper or mannered enough? That seems a bit drastic.

As for the story, I really did enjoy the competition and the other characters involved there. The climax was pretty great, too, although I am sad that the reader did not get to go on the journey with Trina to find a dragon. Overall, it's a really cute story--an amazing fantasy story with an exciting plot, but not quite the depth I was looking for. I'd still recommend it, though.

Find it on Amazon

(I received a digital copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review)

Ninja Storytime

This storytime was for a preschool-aged group at my library.

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
Written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-0802853851
Publisher: Eerdmans Books
Date of publication: September 15, 2014
Age: Grades 2 and up
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography

Themes: language, words, lists, accomplishments,

Awards: Caldecott Honor (2015), Sibert Medal (2015),

For shy, young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions and he took a lot of comfort in finding just the right word. It wasn't long before Peter began writing his own book—not a story, but lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time.

This is a fascinating book, filled with facts and tidbits that make any reader appreciate Roget and his thesaurus so much more. For instance, did you know that Roget invented the first portable, pocket-sized chess set? Seriously, what would we do without him. This book does an amazing job of introducing the reader to a fascinating man.

But besides the well-written story and inclusion of facts (which earned it the Sibert), there are the illustrations (which, of course, earned a Caldecott Honor). Melissa Sweet actually mimicked the lists that Roget would make, as well as included scraps of actual scientific papers, highlighting all sorts of words. The effect is striking and really makes the story that much better. My only complaint is that it can be a bit much; there's so much on the page. But it does invite the reader to really examine what's going on. It really is a superb book. Go and check it out.

Find it at your library or on Amazon