Rubin Pingk

Longing for an epic snowball fight, Yukio is disappointed that all the other little ninjas refuse to come outside and join him. Determining that Santa is the problem, as all of his friends are trying to be good, he decides to scare away the holiday gift-giver. But when his plans go well - so well that he gets the snowball fight of his dreams - Yukio realizes that he may have miscalculated, denying all of his friends their Christmas gifts. Fortunately Samurai Santa knows what's going on, and is one step ahead...

Much like its sequel, Samurai Scarecrow: A Very Ninja Halloween, which I happened to read first, Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas is an entertaining and ultimately heartwarming holiday tale. As a reader, I never had any doubt that Samurai Santa would triumph, and in a way that would bring joy to his "enemy," but it was still fun watching Yukio get to the end of the story, and realize that Santa knew his heart all along. The digital artwork is very appealing, with a simple but striking color palette - lighter and darker blues, white and black, and red - that is suited to the wintry setting. Recommended to all little ninjas who celebrate Christmas.… (meer)

Yukio and his little sister Kashi, who first appeared in author/illustrator Rubin Pingk's Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas, return in this Halloween adventure. Reciting the Samurai Scarecrow lullaby to Kashi, Yukio insists that he, dressing up as a ninja, wouldn't be afraid of the fearsome creature. But when he is unkind to Kashi on Halloween night, after she dresses up in the same costume as he does, Yukio finds himself confronting the scarecrow in person. Is it a trick... or a treat?

Although I have not read the first book (something I intend to rectify this holiday season), I decided to read Samurai Scarecrow: A Very Ninja Halloween anyway, finding it an immensely engaging Halloween tale. There's just the right blend of spooky nighttime hi-jinks and heartwarming sibling relations in the text, with a fun scarecrow rhyme thrown in for good measure. The artwork, done digitally, is absolutely delightful, with a very appealing color palette - black, white, gray, lavender and red - and a wonderfully stylized sensibility. I loved the scenes in which Yukio and his friends trick-or-treat! Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining Halloween picture-books, or for children's stories featuring ninjas.… (meer)