Ninja the Lab – Mulberry Mystery by Carmen Quintana (Author) and Gab Cruz (Illustrator)
This review first appeared on Reader Views. Read the Reader Views version here.
Ninja is a yellow lab who absolutely loves mulberries. He looks forward to them every spring–there is no limit to the number of mulberries he can eat. But when, one day, Ninja goes to the tree and finds no mulberries (even though it’s mulberry season), he launches an investigation. Ninja travels around his Australian home asking animal after animal if they have eaten the mulberries. But who did eat the mulberries, and can Ninja find a way to share?
Author Carmen Quintana has crafted the very sweet and affable Ninja. How can readers not relate to this fluffy pal who has a favorite food? Quintana also makes sure that while Ninja is concerned about the disappearance of his beloved berries, he interviews potential suspects kindly and more out of curiosity than out of animosity. This keeps readers on his side and hopeful that he will get his favorite snack back.
As Ninja continues to chat with fellow animals, readers get to meet a variety of Australian creatures. As an American, I cannot say how common the animals mentioned are in Australia or how well-known they are among kids there. That said, as an adult who still loves to learn about animals and as an aunt to many niblings who enjoy the same, I certainly learned of new animals while reading Ninja the Lab – Mulberry Mystery. (Have you heard of Australian blue-tongued lizards or bandicoots? I had not! In addition to introducing these animals during the story, Quintana also helpfully provides more information about them at the end of the book.
Since Ninja the Lab – Mulberry Mystery is a picture book, I would be remiss not to discuss illustrator Gab Cruz’s work. Cruz’s whimsical illustrations help move the story along, and while they are realistic enough to showcase the different species, Cruz also adds playful clothing to make the animals more human-like and easier to relate to (for instance, Ninja dons a trench coat and hat in the style of a cartoonish detective when he gets close to concluding his investigation). Cruz also has the animals pose in creative ways to convey meaning that may be more difficult for young kids having the book read to them to fully understand. An example of this is when Ninja says mulberries provide iron, which helps make Ninja strong. To demonstrate this, Cruz has Ninja flexing a bicep like a human bodybuilder would to show off his muscles. Quintana’s words and Cruz’s art thus combine to clearly convey meaning and information to a reader of any age.
If you have a kid in your life who loves berries, animals, and a simple mystery to solve, Ninja the Lab – Mulberry Mystery is a perfect book to read to them. They will be delighted by Quintana’s clever story and Cruz’s delightful pictures–a truly winning combination.
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