"Before he was the protector of Metro City…he was…absolutely adorable!"This graphic novel is a prequel to the series Cat Ninja, written by Matthew Cody and illustrated by Yehudi Mercado and Chad Thomas, though readers don't need to be familiar with those books to enjoy this one. What was the intrepid superhero cat like when he was a youngster? As it turns out, not all that different from any other kitten: He spent his days stretching, sleeping, and staring at birds. Each chapter opens with Kitten portrayed as an action hero in the Cat Ninja visual style before he settles into more sedentary habits. Stubbings employs thick black outlines with rounded forms; Kitten Ninja is a rotund loaf with soft edges. His opponents include a beam of light, a ball of yarn, and inclement weather. There are two to four panels per page, and they are used effectively. Some panels show the passage of time, as when a beam of light moves across the floor while a clock's moving hands indicate the passage of time. The narrator directly addresses Kitten Ninja, making this story a great option for read-alouds. Each chapter ends with an observation that an obstacle "never stood a chance" against Kitten Ninja; neither will anyone with a soft spot for cats. Ninja has a beige-skinned owner who cuddles with him while reading and knitting.As comforting as a lazy afternoon making biscuits. (Graphic fiction. 6-8)

Gr 1–3 —Cat behavior is an endless source of entertainment and adorableness, and it's on full display in Kitten Ninja . Composed of three sections, this graphic novel follows the adventures of Kitten Ninja, a gray tabby, as he chases sunbeams, wrangles a giant ball of yarn, and looks after a bird friend outside his window. Although he is dressed in a black ninja costume throughout the book, it is made clear that his behavior is more cat-like than ninja-like—though perhaps there is more overlap between the two than previously thought. The bright and colorful illustrations can be a bit flat, but do a good job of conveying Kitten Ninja's cuteness, expressions, and behaviors, making it easy for cat lovers to recognize their own beloved felines in the character. The third story, "Kitten Ninja Versus the Snow," somewhat soft-pedals the relationship between domestic cats and songbirds, painting them as friends rather than predator-prey—which shouldn't be strange in a fictional book—but given the accuracy of the depictions of cat behavior to that point, it feels jarring. VERDICT A cute but secondary purchase wherever cat books or graphic novels are popular.—Kadie Seitz