My Grandma's a Ninja
by Todd Tarpley
illustrated by Danny Chatzikonstantinou
published by NorthSouth
The Blurb
Ethan's grandma isn't quite like the others--she wants to take a zip line to school, drop from the ceiling at show and tell, and teach his friends backflips in slow-mo. Grandma's antics eventually ruin soccer and Ethan is upset, but during the championship game he realizes that training with a ninja is pretty great.
My Two Cents
I've told y'all before how much I love ninjas, I know, but I'm telling you again--I love Ninjas, people! And to combine the sneaky, skilled ninja with the preconceived notion of what a grandmother should be is nothing short of brilliant! The illustrations are super cute and the geriatric ninjas of the world are well represented in the character of Grandma. If only we all had the foresight to learn from our grandmothers before our time runs out...this kid, Ethan, is one smart cookie!
Once I read this adorable new picture book, I knew that Todd Tarpley had a new fan...so I let him know! One thing led to another and I am so happy to have him here at Big Hair and Books today!
Text © 2015 by Todd Tarpley. Illustrations © 2015 by Danny Chatzikonstantinou. Permission to use granted by NorthSouth Books
Text © 2015 by Todd Tarpley. Illustrations © 2015 by Danny Chatzikonstantinou. Permission to use granted by NorthSouth Books
Author Interview
1. Hi, Todd! Welcome to Big Hair and Books! I am so excited to visit with you about My Grandma's a Ninja!
Hi, Rosemond! I'm excited to be here! It's a good thing that you have big hair, given the name of your blog.
2. Many of my readers are kids and teachers, so I always ask this question: How did you get started writing kids' books?
3. Todd, your other books are rhyming picture books. Why the departure from rhyme?
4. You've said your own mom is the inspiration for this fun Ninja Grandma--can you tell us how?
I come from a long line of ninjas, particularly on my mom's side of the family. Her mom was a ninja as well, and probably ninjas all the way back. Ninjas are crafty, sneaky people who like to play practical jokes and tiptoe across rooftops and swing on ropes and generally cause trouble. They're high maintenance, but worth it. Some people say only boys can be ninjas, but they're wrong. My mom is a truly great ninja, and my grandmother was perhaps the greatest ninja of all time.
5. How do you balance your day job and your writing career? Any tips on that note for aspiring authors?
Unless you're among the one tenth of one percent of writers or artists or actors who can make a living doing it, you still have to find a way to pay the rent. I really have no great advice, other than that you need to embrace your day job, because that's going to comprise a lot more hours of the day than your writing. If you say "I'm really a writer, and this other stuff is beneath me," that's a fast way to be miserable and unemployed. Allow yourself to be good at more than one thing. There are enough hours in the day.
6. Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?
I have a rhyming book coming out in the fall called Beep! Beep! Go To Sleep! with Caldecott Honoree John Rocco, and another in 2016. So apparently there is still a market for rhyming books. I have several manuscripts in circulation, and I'm trying hard to write a chapter book this year. And hopefully a follow-up to My Grandma's a Ninja. Right now I'm about to go kiss my boys goodnight.
Nice! I will look forward to reading it! Thanks so much for stopping by Big Hair and Books!
Todd Tarpley is a former ninja who still enjoys covering himself in mud and leaves. He is the author of several picture books, including Ten Tiny Toes with Marc Brown. He lives with his relatively normal family in New York City. You can visit him at toddtarpley.com.
Giveaway
Thanks to the fine folks at NorthSouth, Big Hair and Books readers have the chance to win a copy of Todd Tarpley's My Grandma's a Ninja!
Other titles from Todd Tarpley
Labels: 2015, picture book
