Benjamin Harper

The year-long training of a ninja comes across with deserved respect as a boy follows his path and learns the necessary skills.

Ninjas aren't so much about impressive fighting skills as they are stealth, and these pages follow the training of a young boy all the way to his first mission. It takes on a bit of a story feel as the boy watches others train, speaks with his master, and does his best to learn each skill. The year-long work is brought across clearly, and these pages show how it show more begins with fundamentals such as strength, balance, and coordination before concentrating on stealth and, finally, weapons. It's clear that that the training takes years, and the illustrations demonstrate how important determination is as well.

While this often takes on a story atmosphere, it snuggles up to what the daily life of a ninja might have looked like. The various skills come to life, especially in the illustrations. Exact details aren't given, but rather, it concentrates on the general process. At the end of the book, it's explained that there is little to no historical information surrounding these warriors, and much of what we know comes from stories, which were passed down. There are a few more detailed pieces of knowledge at the end of the book as well as a quick glossary.

This is an entertaining and grabbing way for ninja fans to learn a bit more about these warriors. show less

This was SO GOOD.

Now, I might be slightly biased seeing as how I am completely in love with all things Poe and "The Tell-Tale Heart" is my all time favorite story. Still, I feel like that makes me even more picky about how it's presented.

The art in this graphic novel is magnificent. Our narrator is so real looking, so harried and wild, that it makes his stance as an unreliable person all the more vivid. Each panel was excellent. The blue eye, oh that evil blue eye, was piercing in its show more color. Add in some wonderful panel placement choices, and you had a graphic novel that I flew through.

MORE! I want more. "Murders in the Rue Mourge" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" are the two others in this series that I haven't tackled yet. That will soon be remedied. show less

The Frog Prince's Curse, first in a series of "Far Out Fairy Tales," is intended for young readers but this adult found it to be a fun read as well. The volume is slender, it takes but a moment to read, but it is a wonderful, magical tale about Swampelina, a bog witch, and her friends . The artwork and characters are delightful The story is a fun one about friendship and how one can't judge a person solely on outward appearance. Princess Swampelina likes creepy, crawlie things and cultivates show more many thorny, insect-eating plants in her swamp realm. She throws a birthday party and her vampire, skeleton, zombie and other friends attend. For a brief book, The Frog Prince's Curse is filled with many fun details and incidents.

I also really enjoyed the additional materials at the back of the book: a synopsis and brief history of the original Brothers Grimm "The Frog Prince" from 1812, a brief series of questions that asks readers to review the text and artwork to answer them, and a glossary of words. All elements intended to deepen and enrich a reader's experience.

The Frog Prince's Curse was sufficiently delightful that I intend to seek out the other "Far Out Fairy Tales" graphic novels. show less

I liked that both art and industry proved important, and that the two characters became friends at the end. And I liked that there was additional material to provoke the young reader to think more about the theme afterwards.

It didn't wow me, but I would def. recommend it if you're interested, and I would consider more by the creator.
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Accidentally reread, as part of the theme of Graphic fables & fairy tales in Children's Books, 2024. Like it better the second time. Really want four arms so show more I can do all the cool stuff that grasshopper can do. But I do wonder why ant only has four limbs. show less