The Boy Who Cried Ninja

K-Gr 1—When Tim tells his parents the truth—that a ninja ate the last slice of cake, that an astronaut took his dad's hammer, and that a giant squid ate his homework—they send him out to rake leaves and think about his habit of telling lies. When he tells lies instead and takes sole responsibility for the missing tea that a pirate drank, for the TV antenna that a sunburned crocodile broke, and for the cascade of pencils that a time-traveling monkey threw at Grampa while he slept, his parents send him out to water the garden and think over his bad behavior. Any reasonably imaginative child will relate to this kind of no-win situation. Maybe watering vegetables also fertilizes the brain, because Tim has a very good idea that brings about a happy resolution, including lots of ice cream, the best party ever, and a nice, clean yard. Latimer has created offbeat digitally colored drawings brimming with quirky, diverse perspectives and hilarious details.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY