Illustrated by Shiho Pate 4 stars A delicious story about patience, practice, perseverance, and family. Hiro sets out to make the perfect bowl of ramen just like his dad and his dad’s dad. He’s watched his dad thoroughly and taken detailed notes. But once he gets started, things don’t go to plan. Adorable artwork. I…
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Translated by Stephen Kohler 5 stars A breathtaking read full of mystery, magic, and secrets. Coco has always been fascinated by magic. When she discovers the secret to casting spells, she tries to teach herself. But her attempts result in a devastating mistake. To set things right, she becomes a witch’s apprentice and dives headfirst…
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Translated by Tetsuichiro Miyaki 3 stars A fun manga with plenty of humor. I enjoyed watching the show so thought I’d give the manga a try. In the first volume, we’re introduced to Nate, shown how he meets his yokai butler, Whisper, and how he befriends various yokai including the ever-popular Jibanyan. As with the…
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Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit 3 stars A standalone tale loosely based on the Tibetan folktale, “The Prince Who Turned into a Dog”. This book is all Miyazaki. Stunning settings, a strong woman with agency and determination, fascinating creatures, rich backgrounds, and intentional ambiguity. Slow-paced story that puts more emphasis on the visuals than…
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Illustrated by Lorraine Nam 5 stars A fantastic story about accepting your mistakes, working hard, and finding joy in doing what you love. A nice message that winning isn’t everything. The story doesn’t deny that winning feels good. But the emphasis is on doing what you love, trying your best, and making yourself proud. The…
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3.5 stars A humorous slice-of-life comedy following a yakuza-member-turned-househusband as he navigates daily life. Follow Tatsu as he carries out duties like shopping for groceries, taking a cooking class, tackling a DIY project, and looking after a neighborhood kid. While his tasks are often mundane, Tatsu’s old life catches up with him and his over-the-top…
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5 stars This book contains a content note for depictions of disordered eating. A hauntingly beautiful story of friendship, loss, family, and healing. Valerie has always tried to be a “good” daughter. To her, that means giving in to her mother’s concerns about her gaining weight, even if it means taking unhealthy measures to comply….
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Illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng 4 stars A beautiful reimagining of the Han tale of The Seven Brothers. This serves as a nice alternative to The Five Chinese Brothers with detailed illustrations and a full color pallet. In this version, the seven brothers learn that Emperor Ch’in Shih Huang is making people work day and night…
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5 stars A delightfully sweet story with a fun spin to explain the phases of the moon. Perfect for reading during the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival or any time you’re looking for a tasty story. Little Star’s mother makes a big mooncake and hangs it in the sky to cool. She instructions Little Star not to…
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by Michelle Sterling Illustrated by Dung Ho 3 stars A deliciously sweet story for a sweet new year. Every year, Ren hopes she can finally help make pineapple cakes for Lunar New Year. Will this be her year? A delightful story with wonderfully warm illustrations. Nice scenes of togetherness and moments of sharing and teaching….
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