Beautiful illustrations of a heartwarming and inspiring story. Makes my daughter try her own karate moves and is a whole lot of fun every time we read it (which is a lot!).

Karate Kids was a fun story that my 9 yr old said could help other kids be inspired to try Karate. The 5 yr old liked the pictures and moves.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Maya is a young girl who is new to karate lessons. She loves going to her dojo every Saturday and practicing with her friends. Through practice and perseverance, she hopes to gain her black belt one day.

This is a cute story for any child who is new to karate. Many karate-related vocabulary words are highlighted within the story. Cute illustrations. Would recommend for children ages 3-6.

What a delightful book! As a family of 5 active karate participants, I was able to appreciate all the terms and procedures of the Saturday morning Dojo class and family feeling. This book captured the feel of our typical Saturdays with such delight. I will definitely be looking for this one to purchase for our own collection as well as gifts for Karate family friends. Thank you and well done!

Perfect read for any child who is interested in karate! I loved the inclusion of characters, the illustrations were fun and relatable, and I enjoyed the proper terminology for the moves. It was educational and fun at the same time. There was also a strong sense of good sportsmanship, which is important in any group activity. Additionally, the story showed that it is okay to need help, and I think that is so important because that is part of the learning process. At the end I loved that the group is referred to as “family”. Recommend for any Karate Kid!

This would be a perfect gift for any kid who is interested in taking karate! You can join the main character, Maya, and the rest of the karate kids as they go to their lesson. Illustrations are adorable! And I love the little author blurb at the end with a photo of Holly Sterling all decked out in her karate gear.

**Note: I received a free copy of this title from the people at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This book is adorable. The writing is simple and to the point and very easy for young readers to both read and comprehend. It gives them a small inside look at what it is like inside a dojo, from the perspective of a little girl who is starting with her white belt. I think is it very entertaining and educational, as it provides what things or movements are called. Young readers will find this very entertaining, the illustrations are very sweet and very well done.

This is perfect for little karate fans in the making. I have a child in karate and he has competed nationally. He went from a white belt to a black belt in 2 years. We pretty much lived at our Dojo. This book is spot on for what it is like starting out. The pictures are realistic and I love that the author did those also. Our Dojo starts kids at 2.5 years old and some even at older ages are scared to go into class. This book would be perfect for parents to share prior to starting class! Thank you to #netgalley for an ARC.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just love the cover of the book (and my hubby agrees that it is a very cute cover) and since I did some karate in high school (just a tiny bit it turned not for me) I thought I should try this book. Thanks to the publisher for granting my request as this was an adorable and fun book.

Meet Maya (and her friends) as they are going to karate. Thanks to them we learn a lot of basics about karate from how the outfit is called (gi) to various moves and what you may do at lessons. It was really fun, and they reminded me of me when I just started... though I have to say I would probably have been a bit more motivated in karate if it was as fun as the lessons in this one. From what I remember from my karate lessons it was mostly remembering remembering and practising and it felt often that you had to just do it right the first time. 

I loved the part at the ending where the author tells us she is/was a karateka and even won competitions.Wow! That is amazing and that makes the book even more special and fun. 

The art is really cute and adorable and I love the style. 

I would recommend this book to all. It is fun, informative, and cute.

This was a fun read and a great way to introduce Karate to children!

The books shows some of the moves that they would learn and the proper names for them too, so not only does it have some lovely images, it also teaches new words.

The book was easy to follow and understand too which made it a great one to read - 4 stars from us!

Really enjoyed reading this one with my daughter. We love The Karate Kid original movies and Cobra Kai. This book was full of diverse characters and had lovely illustrations. I think pronunciation would be helpful for the karate terms. I sounded them out as best as I could.

This book has such sweet and fun illustrations.  The text tells the story of a young girl going to her karate class.  Many aspects of karate are clearly explained in the text by the author, a karate champion herself. 


This book provides an excellent introduction to what a student can expect if they start lessons. There are rules and discipline along with co-operation, fun and learning.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Karate Kids is a perfect book for any kids learning the some form of martial arts. Walking you through the correct terminology, simple moves and a dream to be better. Practice makes perfect, or better at least. I loved the supportive sensei and that she was a female. Inspiring and uplifting story! I know just the kids to share it with.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Fun, educational board book with real karate terms and movements. Perfect to get little children excited about doing karate with an inspirational afterwards note from the author. Enjoyed it!

A very nice book to give to a child who is studying karate or thinking about it. It accurately presents what karate is and includes simple terminology that a karate parent also needs to know.
I was very happy to see that the Sensei is a woman. Also, children of all races and cultures will find themselves represented in this dojo; the illustrations are charming and inviting. This book is a welcome addition to martial arts books for children.

Do you want to be a Karate Kid. I always admired those who practiced karate. The discipline it takes and the confidence it brings. This story for children that may be interested in Karate or for parents who want to encourage their kids in Karate. This children book brings encouragement and excitement for the sport.

Maye is taking karate lessons. She gets ready to go to her dojo which is where she practices. She has her gi which is her white uniform and belt. Maye will learn many moves and the name of the moves. With her sensei who teaches her and instructs the class, she will be challenged to do great things in Karate.

Karate is about honor, family and respect. Values that are important for our children to learn. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.