"If he told the truth, he was in trouble,
and if he lied he was in trouble.
What could he do?
Then he had an idea."
It's not surprising that when you read a book by an author new to you, and you really enjoy it, you will go looking for others. That is what happened here. Ninja was published 13 years ago, and is still in print. That's a good thing.
For those expecting an alternative telling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf tale, you have come to the wrong place. This is definitely not that! Rather it is a story of a boy who always tells the truth; the trouble is nobody believes him.
When the last slice of cake goes missing, Tim's mother wants to know what happened to it. Tim explains that it was a ninja, and describes exactly what happened. Or, when his dad asks where his hammer is, Tim tells him that an astronaut landed in their yard in need of a hammer to fix his spaceship, Tim's dad knows Tim is lying again. Telling his Grampa that a giant squid ate his book bag and that's why his homework isn't done, is the last straw.
Tim is sent into the garden to clean it while thinking about the lies he is telling. It makes Tim think he should tell lies. As other odd things happen, Tim confesses. One again, he is relegated to watering the garden, while thinking about all the awful things he has been doing. Is there no solution?
It turns out that Tim has an idea about that. Six letters are sent to the perpetrators about an upcoming party. On Saturday, while the adults in the house are getting their jobs for the day done, the doorbell rings. Voila!
"Tim's parents could see that he'd been trying
to tell the truth from the beginning. They said
sorry and promised to buy him a hundred ice
creams."
And the troublemakers? You will have to find a copy, and check it out!
Quirky digital illustrations amp up the humor and make for a most enjoyable readaloud.
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