The Japanese Ninja Surprise

Flat Stanley: The Japanese Ninja Surprise by Jeff Brown (Hardie Grant Egmont)

PB RRP $9.95

ISBN 978-1-4052-5210-2

Reviewed by Lillian Rodrigues-Pang

www.thestoryline.com.au 

  

Flat Stanley is an old favourite of mine. I enjoyed him as a kid and I enjoy him now. He is undergoing a revival with new books and an animation in development. There are two new titles available in June 2011; The Big Mountain Adventure and The Ninja Surprise.

In The Japanese Ninja Surprise Stanley is posted to Japan by his ‘always helpful brother’. He arrives to become immediately acquainted with his action movie Hero, Oda Nobu, who of course is a Flat Stanley fan. Flat Stanley is immediately made a personal Ninja to the master and they share some wonderful adventures. The story takes the two of them through so many parts of Japan that it made me want to visit the country.

The black and white graphics throughout the book are fantastic. All created in the style of Scott Nash, the current illustrator Jon Mitchell has done a remarkable job.

For any Flat Stanley fans out there this book will not disappoint. I had no problem getting my son and daughter to read this one either so its win win.