by Nagabe Translated by Adrienne Beck 5 stars Another fascinating volume. Haunting artwork, memorable characters, and a story that will stick with you. Teacher takes the lead in this volume and we learn more of his backstory. This one takes on a more sorrowful tone in contrast to the hopeful themes at the start of…
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Illustrated by Nao Kodaka Translated by Christine Dashiell 2.5 stars Kilala and Rei continue their request to collect the gems for the tiara and save Paradiso, visiting different Disney princesses. But this time they are joined by Sylphy, a woman claiming to be Rei’s fiancée. Will she help or hurt their cause? We get two…
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Illustrated by Nao Kodaka Translated by Christine Dashiell 2.5 stars Rei has gone back to Paradiso, leaving Kilala with the tiara. But when Kilala gets a lead on the seventh princess, she ventures off to find out more. On her adventures, she has some fairy encounters, meets a new princess, and learns of a betrayal….
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3 stars While playing in the snow, Olivia and Mei explore distance and units of measurement as they try to figure out who jumps more. A nice way of introducing concepts related to measurement. I like that the story recognizes that “more” can mean different things depending on what you are measuring. While the pair…
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3 stars A cute board book for learning about patterns. Olivia is decorating a birdhouse and starts painting a stripe pattern. But then she makes a mistake. How will she fix it? A sweet story that nicely showcases patterns. Cute illustrations. The backmatter includes activities for further pattern exploration. A nice simple way of introducing…
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Illustrated by Nao Kodaka Translated by Kathy Schilling 3 stars The second volume takes Kilala under the sea. She and Rei are separated and she must journey through the ocean with the help of some new friends to find him. Another fun fast-paced adventure. Adorable artwork. I’m really enjoying getting new storylines with Disney princesses…
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Story by Mizuki Tsujimura Illustrated by Tomo Taketomi Translated by Jacqueline Fung 4 stars Another fascinating volume. Within the castle, Kokoro finds relief from the anxiety and pressure she feels in the outside world through connecting with the other students. But as summer begins, tensions rise and they realize they all have their own secrets….
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Illustrated by Nao Kodaka Translated by Kathy Schilling 3 stars An adorable little adventure featuring some classic Disney princesses. Kilala dreams of being a princess, finding her true love, and living happily ever after. But in the meantime, she’s happy to support her friend Erica in the Princess Contest. That is until a strange boy…
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4 stars A beautiful story celebrating self-acceptance, friendship, family, and open communication. When Indu was young, he was found alone on the moon. Since then he’s lived happily with his adoptive mother on a spaceship. Now Indu is moving to New Earth to live with his mother and new stepfamily. That means Indu will have…
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by Nagabe Translated by Adrienne Beck 5 stars Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Haunting artwork. Fascinating backstory. Did not want to stop reading. After the failed ceremony, Shiva remains locked away in the Inside where she is visited by a mysterious stranger who reveals some of the Inside’s history. The bulk of this volume follows the king…
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