Kick! Jump! Chop! Book Review

We've all heard of the Gingerbread Man but have you heard of the Ninjabread Man? Kick! Jump! Chop! is the latest children's book from author Heather Ayris Burnell and it is a brilliant twist on a classic tale.

When sparring gets stale, Sensei bakes a delicious Ninjabread Man! Raccoon, Cheetah, Monkey and Sensei each battle the Ninjabread Man to see if the cookie will crumble. Can this tough cookie beat the ninjas and escape Fox's sticky paws?

The story begins with Sensei baking up a a biscuit mix with a bit of extra spice and what bursts out of the oven is something that kicks, jumps and chops, it's the Ninjabread Man! The real question is, are the animals up for the challenge.

Let battle commence!

In the original tale the characters are trying their hardest to catch the biscuit, in this tale they are attempting to beat him in a fight.

"Kick! Jump! Chop! As fast as you can. You can't beat me, I'm the Ninjabread Man."

What I love as you turn the pages is all the baking references, from baking methods to ingredients used, it adds something really fun to it as you read the words. And it isn't just the words, it's the illustrations as well. They were what originally drew me to book. 

The front cover alone had me smiling so I knew they'd entertain my children.

As the story continues it looks like Ninjabread Man just can't lose, he is definitely one tough cookie but then along comes ..... the fox.

"I always win at hand-to-cookie combat."

The question is will the Ninjabread Man meet the same fate as the Gingerbread Man?

What you get with Kick! Jump! Chop! is a brilliant re-telling of a vintage tale. It is fast paced and I'm sure it will become a classic itself. It is mouthwateringly good, with a great mix of pictures and story telling, it certainly packs a punch.