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Summary
Summary
Grrrrrlpower! After a bullying incident at school, Mary Leary's young heroine joins a karate class. But karate, she learns, is not simply a method of self-defense. It also helps develop confidence and concentration. "To be sure enough of oneself to avoid a fight -- that is what karate is about," her teacher, the sensei, tells her. So begins a firsthand look at what being a karate student is really like, from the special uniform and classroom to the rigorous exercises and practice sessions. Becoming a karate girl takes dedication and hard work. With pictures and text brimming with sass and spunky style, Mary Leary charts the course of a girl getting ready to face new challenges -- at the dojo and on the sidewalk after school.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A young karate student begins her class thinking that she can get back at the bullies who bother her younger brother. However, after taking the sensei's lessons to heart, Mary discovers that the martial art is about more than mastering self-defense; it helps individuals develop the inner confidence to "avoid a fight." The author includes vocabulary that will be familiar to students of karate as they pass from a white belt as a beginner through the various color levels. Mary's fellow students are a diverse group of boys and girls. The bright artwork illustrates one of the first katas, a combination of blocking and kicking stances. Double-page spreads alternate with pictures that show movement and action against red and orange dragon motifs. Even though this plot is message driven, there is a dearth of picture books featuring a young girl in martial arts. Couple this one with Brian Pinkney's JoJo's Flying Side Kick (S & S, 1995) for a unique sports-themed storytime.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Text outshines art in debut author/artist Leary's insider's view of karate, narrated by a big sister eager to avenge her bullied little brother. At the girl's first lesson, however, her motives are checked, when the teacher tells her, "Karate is not only about self-defense.... To be sure enough of oneself to avoid a fight-that is what karate is about." The girl explains the significance of the colors of the karate belts and the class's activities, and Leary succinctly illustrates a kata, or combination of moves, with sequential images of the protagonist, her motions diagrammed by arrows (once she's mastered a kata, it "seems like a beautiful dance done with an invisible partner"). For the most part Leary manages to convey both the activity of the dojo as well as the less easily dramatized hours of practice and concentration. The illustrations, however, may not be to everyone's taste. The characters have disproportionately large heads, noses and feet, and many compositions favor high-contrast palettes. The relatively loud style may be off-putting and seems antithetical to the goal of quieting the mind (emphasized as the first skill to be mastered), but Leary offers a solid introduction to the practice of karate. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A young girl, angry at the bullies who harass her brother, changes her mind about revenge once she begins karate, which teaches students to be sure enough of oneself to avoid a fight. The straightforward text focuses on karate's physical and mental components. The illustrations, though just this side of garish, capture (through facial expressions and a repeated dragon motif) the serenity and strength the girl gains. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. When bullies hassle her little brother, a young girl feels helpless. Then she joins her best friend at a karate class, and she's hooked. After practicing throughout the summer, she graduates to a yellow belt, gains strength and self-confidence, and succeeds in warding off the bullies--without violence. Leary's picture-book debut is more a vehicle for introducing karate basics than a well-developed story, but it's refreshing to see a girl starring in a martial arts title. Leary uses clear, simple words to describe both karate's thoughtful, meditative purpose ("karate is not to be used to show off") and its high-kicking, empowering action. The brightly colored illustrations, rendered in the fine lines and textures of colored pencils, capture the girl's excitement as she practices in front of her "Girl Power" poster and finds her inner dragon at the dojo. Pair this with Ann Morris' Karate Boy (1996) and Gary Hellman's The Karate Way (2001) for more picture-book views of the martial art. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2003 Booklist