Ninja Cat: Whiskers of Choice
Publisher: Scoop n Juice Publications
Released: September 2019
ISBN-13 # 9781086277302
ASIN # 1086277309
Available from Amazon.com in paperback and digital formats.
I was excited to read Justin Donner’s Ninja Cat: Whiskers of Choice when I read the synopsis, specifically that it “is a highly entertaining children’s book that tackles difficult topics through a thoughtful tale filled with humor, kid-friendly dialogue and mayhem-making scenarios…” I’m a sucker for kids books that cover difficult topics, especially in a visual format like picture books, graphic novels, and comics.
Visually, I liked the idea of leaving it in line drawings so the reader could color them in, making the book more interactive. However, it sometimes seemed as though some of the drawings didn’t fit. Like they were either done by a different artist, or just a quick sketch that didn’t get finished, but that may not matter so much to the younger readers this book is intended for.
As for content, I’m a strong believer in teaching early to learn early, especially in a format that makes it feel more like fun than learning. And I love having a book that makes me want to look stuff up and I have (I think/hope) passed that on to my 15 year old graphic novel addict. So for the parents who love actively reading with their kids, I’d say this is a great opportunity for that.
On a personal level, and maybe this is a bit of a call to Donner directly, I’d be interested to see this broken up into a series that chooses a topic of focus for each. All of the topics here are equally deserving of attention and it could be great to see them really drawn out in a way that can expand Ninja Cat’s world, and invite older readers who are ready to digest more but still need it in an entertaining form (like my 15 year old).
Have you read the book? What are your thoughts? Want to talk to me about this show? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or Instagram, or leave a comment below!
