Chi's Sweet Adventures

vol 4
by Konami Kanata
Adapted by Kinoko Natsume

This fourth volume of Chi's Sweet Adventures is obviously aiming more at entertaining children watching the cute tv show, so it wasn't quite as appealing to me. I really prefer the earlier series that sticks more or less to what a real kitten's life is like. There's still plenty of normal stuff in here- Chi gets repeated lessons from Blackie on how to hiss and intimidate- practicing on frogs and lizards- but she's too darn cute to make it convincing. Chi and Cocchi go wandering at night, someone gives them fish to eat, but older stray cats chase them trying to steal the food. The kittens are out on a very hot day and try desperately to find shade- sometimes in amusing places. They chase cicadas up trees and then admire the view, but are a bit scared to come down again. They're frightened by a coiled hose, thinking it a snake. At home, Chi watches her family argue and fight, and feels lonely in the empty rooms when everyone's avoiding each other- and later she helps them come together again.

The bits that stretched reality were Chi and the other kittens climbing up into the clouds (turned out to be a dream), pushing a skateboard then deliberately jumping on it for a ride, and Chi visiting the beach with the family. That part could be realistic, except Chi acted excited and curious and played with the waves more like a dog than a cat, in my opinion. I did appreciate one part that was really true to modern life- the boy Yohei busy playing video games on a device, ignoring both Chi and his dad. Dad brings out a bunch of nostalgic old-fashioned toys trying to convince Yohei to play, Chi starts joining in which finally gets the kid interested too. I liked that.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 2/5           88 pages, 2017

Chi's Sweet Adventures

vol 3
by Konami Kanata
Adapted by Kinoko Natsume

More kitten cuteness. I finally realized these books aren't supposed to chronologically follow the first set of Chi stories, but fit into the same timeframe. If I'd known that from the start, the overlap wouldn't have bothered me! In this one, the kittens explore together, run into a dog, and momentarily get stuck in a tree. The dad tries to take photos of Chi to enter a "chic cat" contest, but mom realizes Chi would be appreciated more for being cute and silly. Chi and Cocchi go roaming, and people offer them food, responding to Chi's cute pleas. So Cocchi tries to copy Chi's "smile". The Bear Cat has to give him some pointers on that! As Cocchi's usually kinda cranky. He tries to be more playful with the other kittens, but it's hard for him to act carefree- having to worry about survival as a stray. Blackie tries to teach the kittens how to play-fight, holding back their claws and biting gently. They don't quite get it. The parakeet shows up again, startling the kittens when it mimicks Chi. Then there's family stuff- Chi playing hide-and-seek with Yohei, messing up the dad's work by stomping all over his keyboard, feeling antagonized by the roomba. Being freaked out by the cat tower the dad builds her. Yohei gets sick and the mom wants him to stay in bed and rest, but she can't keep Chi out of his room. Then there's the part where Yohei briefly runs away, being angry with his dad. And the four kitten friends go on a grand adventure, venturing further than they ever have before, out of the park. It ends with a dog encounter, which oddly enough has the kittens clinging to the dog's back as he bolts down the sidewalk, ending up in a nice garden, and the kittens find out this dog at least, can actually be friendly.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5           88 pages, 2017

Chi's Sweet Adventures

vol 2
by Konami Kanata
Adapted by Kinoko Natsume

Well, the cute factor keeps me reading on, but really the 'episodes' are too short and once again stuff was repetitive- like the part where Chi and Cocchi get stuck in the rain and end up snuggling together in a tiny spot- after the kittens spat over the space. Chi searches for a warm spot when the power goes out in the family home. Chi has more lessons from the older cat Blackie- how to sneak up on prey, how to find safe spaces, avoiding bad food. Chi follows along when the mom of the house does exercises (something I think a dog would be more likely to do). Chi attends a gathering of cats, but is disruptive so Blackie leaves her with some other kittens, being tended by an "Auntie". Later Chi and Cocchi romp and play with the tabby kittens, puzzled again by their similarity to Chi. There's a tender nostalgic moment when the three tabbies tumble into a bucket together, curl up in a group and promptly fall asleep. Chi has a nagging sense of memory but can't quiet place why this feels so familiar and comforting. Then there's a part where Chi forgets Blackie's teachings and eats some spoiled meat off the ground, getting sick later. And a funny part where a frog gets loose in the house- the mom freaks out, Chi and Yohei both try to catch it.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5           91 pages, 2017

Chi's Sweet Adventures

vol 1
by Konami Kanata
Adapted by Kinoko Natsume

I checked out the first few volumes of Chi's Sweet Home, thinking my eight-year-old would like it. (She does immensely!) Discovered at the same time there's a new series featuring the same kitten- Chi's Sweet Adventures. Seems to be based on a television show. Not quite as good as the original Chi- the snippets of storyline can feel abrupt, the material is somewhat repetitive (in this volume Chi meets Cocchi for the first time?) the panels are smaller so I don't enjoy the art as much and it doesn't have quite the same depth of feeling. The little boy in the family, Yohei, looks older now- so I guess the story has advanced chronologically (which makes it confusing why Chi doesn't already know Cocchi, but oh well). Regardless, it's still darn cute. I'm enjoying them for a light read. In this one, Chi attempts to eat various things in the house that aren't for cats (a bread loaf, a potted plant, daddy's coffee), goes on excursions with Blackie for safety lessons (how to deal with dogs), goes camping with the family, gets put into a costume for Halloween, meets temptation when the family babysits a neighbor's parakeet, and finds that while the vacuum cleaner makes a terrifying noise, it feels wonderful on her fur.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5              91 pages, 2017

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury
by Bill Watterson

This book came up on swap, so I have been enjoying some chuckles, reading more Calvin and Hobbes. I noticed right away the strips in this volume are from early on: the drawing style- especially the main character's faces- are slightly different and Calvin is meeting Susie the girl next door for the first time. It's got similar subject material as later strips: arguments with parents, avoiding homework, getting bored in class, acting out his wild imagination, teasing girls, being grossed out at dinner, a kid being a kid. Really obnoxious kid, with witty comebacks and plenty of funny remarks. And of course, his tiger companion Hobbes is a charmer. I recognized most of the panels from reading these long ago when they were featured in the newspaper, but some were new to me (or I had forgotten them): the episode where Calvin is an onion in a school play about nutrition, the one where they find an injured raccoon, another serious one where Calvin and Hobbes come across a clearing in the woods for a new development, and rant about how wildlife is being displaced. I liked it.

Rating: 3/5          254 pages, 1988

El Zoo Petrificado

Los Diarios de Cereza
by Joris Chamblain

I bought this book while traveling, because the illustratons intrigued me so much. It's the first book I've ever read in Spanish and actually enjoyed, rather than struggling to translate every sentence. I did have to look up quite a few words, but not enough to slow me down. The original is in French.

It's about a young girl Cereza who dreams of being a writer and likes to imagine other people's secrets. She's busy decorating a tree house with her friends when they notice an old man come out of the woods in paint-splattered clothes. They're nervous and go home. Cereza comes back later on her own and sees the old man again. She decides to follow him and see what he's doing. Without telling her friends and lying to her mom, by the way.

- spoilers ahead -

He's painting scenes of animals on the walls of a derelict, abandoned zoo in the forest. Cereza decides to help him and gets her friends and other kids involved in cleaning up the old zoo grounds. Eventually they get some adults of the town involved as well to make major repairs. Delightfully, the artist not only paints animals on the walls, he renews the paintings periodically to make it look like the animals are feeding, new young are born and grow up, etc. It's a constantly evolving art form. Cereza convinces him to let the town see, and they open the doors to visitors, bringing memories alive for many of the older citizens and recognition to the old man for his art. The front and end pages of the book are like a diary (in a hard-to-read handwriting font) and some of the later pages are news articles about the revitalized zoo in its new format, and criticism/praise of the old man's art. These articles with more formal language was the most difficult for me to read.

- end spoilers -

The story is a nice tidy mystery, and in spite of some flaws (dishonestly, ignoring and criticizing her friends) I rather liked Cereza's character. At the end of the book she determines to find a way to talk more openly with her mother, but isn't quite there yet. While a big part of it is about friendship and acceptance, I admit I liked best the parts about the old man's secret work. I'm reading this book aloud a second time round with my teen, so she can practice her Spanish, and she's quite enjoying it as well.

Rating: 4/5             72 pages, 2017

Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat

A Calvin and Hobbes Collection
by Bill Watterson

I lingered over this one because it's the last of my Calvin and Hobbes books until I find a few more volumes. More nostalgic stuff of childhood: decoding secret messages, imagining grand schemes. First half is a lot of christmas glory and social commentary (or criticism of his parents) presented in snowman artwork. Calvin's dad shows himself to be an avid cyclist and takes the family camping- which both Calvin and his mom resent. The kid for his part gets regular thrills careening down slopes on a sled in winter, in a red wagon during the warm months. I cracked a smile at how Susie the girl-next-door calmly thwarts his plans to clobber her with snowballs, water balloons or some other kind of ambush. Their attempts to "play house" together, shown in a different comic art style, are hilarious. The larger horizontal format does make this book awkward to handle in softcover and I don't know if it adds much to appreciating the artwork as there are rather wide page margins.

Rating: 3/5         175 pages, 1994

The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes

A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury 
by Bill Watterson

I thoroughly enjoyed reading more Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin speculates on the realities of Santa Claus, makes terrible faces for family photos, resists bathtime, fights the babysitter, teases the girl next door mercilessly, procrastinates doing homework, imagines he's saving the world from distasters with superpowers, or rampaging around as a dinosaur, and argues with his more level-headed best friend tiger Hobbes. I laughed through many pages. I had forgotten the episode where the family's house got broken into. In this volume he starts his club against "slimy girls" and makes his cardboard-box duplicator. Yeah, second half of the book was suddenly a repeat-read for me that I skipped over: it's the entire contents of Scientific Progress Goes "Boink". With the improvement that this volume has all the weekend strips in full color. So now I know which one is immediately getting weeded from my collection as a redundancy.

Rating: 3/5         255 pages, 1992

Scientific Project Goes "Boink"

A Calvin and Hobbes Collection 
by Bill Watterson

Six-year-old Calvin is pretty much a self-centered, lazy, conceited brat of a kid. With violent tendencies. So why does he crack me up so much. I think I enjoyed this volume a little better than the last one, because it had quite a few little story arcs through several strips in a row, presented in sequence. In the last collection it seemed like they were more randomly presented, with gaps. Maybe only favorites were selected for that one? There's also a good sense of time- a big chunk of the book is during winter- seems it's Calvin's favorite season, for the snowball-fight and sledding opportunities. Also he makes some very disturbing "artistic" tableaux with snowmen. I think some of the funniest episodes in here are when Calvin turns a cardboard box into a 'duplicator' and makes copies of himself. He thinks it will get him out of chores and homework, but their troublemaking gets him into trouble. He has more confrontations with the babysitter. His parents ploys to deal with him are pretty amusing too- mom telling him dinner is made of bug parts so he'll want to eat it, for example. His dad's made-up explanations for scientific things- just messing with the kid- are pretty funny too. And it's been so long since I read any of these comics I had completely forgotten a few parts- the one where Calvin and his stuffed tiger play a game of Scrabble made me laugh. I happen to commiserate with his difficulties playing on a baseball team. I was no good at that sport, either.

Rating: 4/5             128 pages, 1991

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes

A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury
by Bill Watterson

This thicker volume of comic strips contains all the material from previously published collections Yukon Ho! and Weirdos from Another Planet, the small print on the cover tells me. What it doesn't mention is that it also seems to have all the color strips from Lazy Sunday Book, which I just read. I know because I instantly recognized them all and my eyes started just automatically skipping over the sunday panels in here.

Nevertheless, it was an awesome read. I enjoyed every moment- the chuckles, the dipping into philosophy and introspective thoughts on social norms- seen from a six-year-old's viewpoint of course- the few touching moments. The struggles of parenting such a wild kid is more obvious to me, reading this as an adult. I really like the tiger's character. I noticed this collection had a few elements missing from the earlier, simpler strips- which seemed to be all about conflicts and curiosities Calvin would encounter at home, at school, on walks in the woods. Here we have a few run-ins with a bully at school. Calvin's torments of the neighborhood girl Susie now include showing off what he claims are gross elements in his packed lunch. His family goes camping in the rain- Calvin and his mom hate it, his dad remains optimistic and cheerful (until his glasses get broken). There's run-ins with a babysitter (how I'd hate to be in her shoes) and Calvin starts to spout political-sounding rhetoric (polls on his dad's popularity- as if he could vote him out of the role) and point out things like global warming and pollution. Makes it feel a bit more grown up, but still with a mischievous kid's take on everything.

Rating: 4/5            256 pages, 1990

Lazy Sunday Book

Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Watterson

I had almost forgotten how much I like this cartoon. It was one of my favorites back in the days I used to read newspaper strips every week. I was almost afraid to try Calvin and Hobbes again after my disappointment with recent Phoebe and Her Unicorn- maybe this one would also have lost its charm for me. Happily, nope!

For those of you who don't know (my kids didn't- they kept asking me why I was chuckling over "that dinosaur book" as my six-year-old referred to it, seeing the back cover) Calvin is six and his constant companion is a stuffed tiger, who in his imagination is larger-than-life and very real. Calvin is constantly getting into all kinds of trouble for his high energy level, creative imagination, sarcastic and matter-of-fact arguments with adults, refusal to follow rules he thinks are nonsensical, resistance to things like baths, cleaning his room, doing homework, etc. I think my favorite aspect about the comic strips is not just Calvin's spunky, vibrant character but the way his daydreams are depicted- drawn in a more realistic, dramatic style you can always tell when you're inside his head. Of course, he's not at all a nice kid- he teases a neighborhood girl mercilessly, criticizes his parents, depicts his teacher as a hideous monster, always wants to pummel people or dunk them with water balloons, etc. But- he's just a kid. Glorious, riotous kid. How quickly any game with his tiger devolves into an all-out fight- hilarious. He makes me laugh.

The only disappointment I had, is that I probably won't keep this book. I noticed right away when I started reading the next Watterson collection on my nightstand, The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes, that all the sunday panels in this volume are reprinted in the next. So I don't know what's the point. (Except that wiki tells me the Spaceman Spiff storyline is unique to this book). Seems like if I acquire all the Treasuries, I won't need as many volumes on my shelf to have a full collection.

Rating: 4/5             128 pages, 1989

more opinions:
Bonnie's Books

An Arrangement of Skin

by Anna Journey

I had a few unfinished reads this past week. I think my mood was off. An Arrangement of Skin- borrowed from the library- is a collection of essays on various subjects. The one I liked - "Birds 101"- was about the author's enrollment in a weekend class on basic taxidermy: how she cleaned, stuffed and posed a starling. Curious the reasons other students in the class wanted to attempt taxidermy. Made me interested in reading another book on my list, also about taxidermy. Other stories, I just couldn't click with. There's one about her mother's penchant for telling macabre stories at the dinner table. Another about her experience getting some chicken pox scars treated. I thought I would like the story that included her musings on horseback riding, but I was starting to loose touch with the author's voice. I didn't make it to the story about a tattoo artist.

The other two I abandoned this week were also library loans. In the Hall of Small Mammals by Tomas Pierce looked interesting- but I only read the first two short stories. I wanted to like the one about a dwarf woolly mammoth brought to life for a tv show stunt. When it turns out they accidentally cloned two mammoths and weren't supposed to keep the second one alive, it was hidden in the narrator's mother's house. She doesn't want it there, is rather indifferent to its presence. So what could have been interesting- well, the mammoth was just in the background. Unfortunately, the writing style didn't quite work for me, and even though I usually enjoy this type of material, I was just bored. (304 pages, 2016)

Unicorn Crossing by Dana Simpson was another dud for me. At the library I suddenly thought, hey, is there another Poebe and Her Unicorn book out? There was, and I was happy, but when I started to read it, I slowly started loosing steam. The characters felt flat. The storylines didn't interest me. It just wasn't as funny as I recall the previous four books being. I found I didn't want to pick it up off the bedside table to finish. Maybe I'll try it again another time. (160 pages, 2017)

Abandoned           225 pages, 2017

Relish

My Life in the Kitchen
by Lucy Knisley

I picked this book up on a whim at the library, knowing I'd seen it mentioned on a few blogs. The first few pages are kind of an info dump on how involved her family is with fine food- her mother was a caterer and a chef, her father a proclaimed gourmand- and I thought how dull is this going to be? But then it starts to tell a personal story, and ended up being rather delightful.

It's basically a memoir centered around food. Knisley tells what it was like growing up with parents who were devout foodies, and how startled she was to discover junk food much later than other kids. How on family trips she and a friend explored a Mexican town pretty much unsupervised and delighted in the street food, and later how disconcerting it was to encounter a totally foreign cuisine in Japan. How family meals shaped her family, and continued to connect them even after her parents split up. Days spent helping her mother in farmer's markets, working behind a cheese counter, getting to tour behind-the-scenes in the restaurant of a fancy kitchen. Describing different cities she lived in via their restaurants and growth in foodie movements. All around ode to our deep connections with what we eat- secret pleasures, handed-down skills, visceral memories. Her struggles to master certain dishes, her efforts to impress or comfort friends with food she made. She shares recipes in a picture format, and gives tips to use in the kitchen. It's not only about how certain culinary traditions lived through her family, but also a story of growing-up, with plenty of funny moments.

Fair warning: in the section where the kids are roaming unsupervised in Mexico, the author indulged in fast food and her friend bought porn magazines. Covers are shown in the pictures. They're not detailed, and not very large, but it's very obvious what they are. (Oddly enough, the parents seemed to know about this and ignored the boy's growing collection of magazines until in the airport on the way home they obliquely shamed him into dumped them in the trash). So be advised, not a book for younger readers in spite of the cartoony nature of the artwork.

Must try a few of the recipes!

Rating: 3/5           173  pages, 2013

more opinions:
Beth Fish Reads
Reading Rants
Estella's Revenge

The Sculptor

by Scott McCloud

One of the heftiest graphic novels I've ever read, but the story moves quickly. It's about a struggling young artist in New York City- a sculptor named David who is seriously down on his luck. Desperate to make his name, he trades his life in - making a deal with Death (personified as his dead great-uncle Harry) in which he can create anything effortlessly with his hands, but within a limited time frame. At first it is thrilling, then frustrating. Suddenly David realizes he doesn't know what to say with his art, and if he does, can it make any difference if no one sees it? The ins and outs of the art scene of New York sound like a massive headache- as I've always imagined. David finally discovers a clever way to subvert the system, and plunges all his energies into creating pieces that will definitely be remembered. But then he falls in love with a theater girl. And finds out that his girlfriend struggles with mental illness. And is suddenly terrified of dying. This book has some heavy subject matter in it- but I didn't always get it.The characters often seemed really full of themselves, too angsty- well, at least the main character was. The girlfriend was nice, but rather shallow- there just wasn't enough of her in the story. Aside from her obvious role as a recipient of David's affections. I don't really share the main character's views about art. And I don't know if I like the way this story ended, at all. Nevertheless, it was a gripping read.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5                      496 pages, 2015

more opinions:
Stuff As Dreams Are Made On
Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Books
Reading Rants
Ex Libris

Trashed

An Ode to the Crap Job of All Crap Jobs
by Derf Backderf

Slice-of-life story based on the short time the author spent working as a garbage collector. It shows how three twenty-something friends sweat day in and day out at a thankless job. They make digs at each other, groan about the disgusting nature of the work, speculate about local citizens due to what they throw on the curb (some of it shocking), and pitch their ears to gossip around the public service offices. And of course pick items out of the garbage to keep for themselves. Interspersed with the narrative are panels of facts on trash- how much we produce, how it is processed, where it all ends up. I'd like to hope these statistics aren't true- that we recycle more than it says, that conditions have improved in containing leachate contamination- but probably they haven't. Regardless, I enjoyed this book a bit more than the last one, and some of it was certainly eye-opening. It made made me chuckle quite a bit. But the humor is crude in lots of places, as you might expect. Reminded me quite a bit of that tv program, Dirty Jobs.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 4/5            256 pages, 2015

more opinions:
Finding Wonderland

Moose

by Max de Radigués

I recently discovered my library has an adult graphic novel section. Picked this one up browsing. Don't be fooled by the seemingly visual simplicity- this story is disturbing and not for young readers. It's about a lonely kid Joe, who is relentlessly bullied in school. It's awful the lengths the other boy goes to in order to make his life miserable. It's sad that some adults try to reach out to Joe, but he can't tell them what is going on- afraid of how the bully will retaliate. Who easily twists circumstances to make things look like Joe's fault. Joe suffers mostly in silence, but finds a bit of solace in nature. He cuts through the woods on a walk to school and is thrilled to observe a moose on a few occasions. I did think it rather funny that in detention, Joe was ordered to copy articles out of National Geographic (instead of doing homework) and came across photos of partially-nude tribal women. He happily found an article on moose and so learned something he appreciated while doing the work that was supposed to be punishment. Joe is also a fan of Lord of the Rings, which endears him to me somewhat. So it looks like the bully situation is not going to get any better for Joe until a fateful day when the bully ambushes him in the woods. I'll leave the reader to find out what happens if they want to approach this book. It's not pretty. Joe is suddenly presented with the possibility of enacting revenge. And the bully shows his true colors- he certainly seems to deserve whatever he got. Nasty kid.

The artwork really did nothing for me, though. But I'm sure its simplicity was to make you focus on the events, bare and bleak as they are.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5               160 pages, 2015

Yotsuba&!

Volume 13
by Kiyohiko Azuma

Back home from camping, Yotsuba wants to give 'souvenirs' from her trip to Asagi- but they're odd things like a stick she found in the woods, and a giant pinecone. Asagi is surprised, but gracious about it. Yotsuba convinces Fuuka to take her to a park with a sandbox- where her make-believe games really bemuse the older girl. The younger friends she meets up with play right along. The main event, which takes up most of the book, is a visit from her Grandma. At first it seems her grandmother is rather tight-lipped and stern- "Grandma has an angry face, but she's not angry! It's just that way!" she explains to one of her friends. As the story progresses you see she really does have a kind heart and cares for Yotsuba. She teaches Yotsuba some cooking and cleaning skills, and the names of birds they see on walks. Yotsuba tries her best to be a good helper and meet with Grandma's approval, although it is hard for her and she throws a few tantrums when things don't go her way. In the end, Grandma has to leave much sooner than Yotsuba would like. She has difficulty dealing with that as well, but Koiwai and his mother calmly handle her outburst. Such dear people.

I'm sad this is the last Yotsuba book available. It's been a lot of fun. I like this series better than Bunny Drop- there's none of that drifting into uncomfortable territory as the kid grows up. Yotsuba is a lot more lighthearted, and more focused on simply what it's like to be a kid- meeting everything with enthusiasm, expecting life to be good, making up funny connections and explanations for things. Yotsuba's motto: enjoy everything!

Rating: 3/5              224 pages, 2015

Yotsuba&!

Vols 11 and 12
by Kiyohiko Azuma

Yotsuba loves noodles. She wanders down the street by herself to an udon shop- and naturally wants to watch the old man make noodles. The shopowners kindly oblige until her dad shows up! She tries pizza for the first time- it is amazing. Yanda comes over- and everyone hides. Haha. For the first time he gets into Yotsuba's good graces- sort of- by bringing a variety of bubble wands. Many, and huge. Yotsuba goes with Fuuka and her friend to gather chestnuts- but the older girls- especially Asagi- are grossed out because many are infested with larvae. (I can so relate. We collected hickory nuts one year- never again). Yotsuba throws a temper tantrum when her dad won't let her use his new digital camera. He gets her a kid one and she goes out through the neighborhood taking pictures. She confronts a dog that has always frightened her on walks- and her teddy bear gets the worst of that encounter. Asagi gives the bear 'surgery' - Yotsuba is seriously sad while her bear is missing. Yanda tries to cheer her up- and of course that backfires, he only makes her mad. But she gets the idea to go 'visit' her bear while it is recovering, and all is well again.

It's fall in this volume. Yotsuba watches geese fly overhead, and Fuuka dresses her up as a pumpkin to play at Halloween- which nobody else is doing around them, it's not a real holiday there. Yotsuba sees Jumbo painting a small table at his flower shop; later at home she finds a can of blue paint and decides to paint stuff in her own house. Of course she gets in trouble, but instead of punishing her, Daddy just lets her suffer the natural consequences- she's horrified that the blue paint won't come off her hands, and everyone she meets going to the store and stuff can find out what she did. By the time he buys a product to help her get cleaned up, she's probably not going to do that again! Yotsuba gets a bike helmet- and thinks it makes her invincible to other things. She goes camping with her dad and his friends- Ena and Miura come along too. Yotsuba is upset at first that Yanda is part of the outing, but she gets over it- he is not quite as annoying this time. The camping episodes were my favorite part. The kids are awed by the tent, and enthralled with a hammock, and love cooking outside, and get introduced to roasted marshmallows, and enjoy the wide open spaces, sunrises, walks in the woods- all great stuff.

Rating: 3/5          224 pages each, 2011 and 2013 respectively

Yotsuba&!

Vols 9 and 10
by Kiyohiko Azuma

I'm still enjoying these. Yotsuba tries to write a schedule for her day, but really gets the wrong idea- noting down every second, for things that can't really be predicted- but sure are important when you're little (like remembering to go to the bathroom). She gets a new teddy bear. Her manner of talking to the bear, and the kinds of names she makes up- so much like my own little girl. Her dad gets a new coffee grinder and Yotsuba thinks this is a grown-up's toy. In a way I guess she's right. She wants to share her dad's new coffee (it's supposed to be extra-good) with Fuuka next door, but always spills on her way over, no matter how careful. So one day the girls follow Yotsuba back to her house- they'll try the coffee there- of course Yotsuba has no qualms inviting them in, but Koiwai wasn't expecting company. The girls are a bit taken aback at seeing how a bachelor lives. Yotsuba gets to go see a hot-air balloon competition. Very impressive! Of course like all little kids she gets distracted, looks for fun elsewhere when the waiting is too long, and when the balloons arrive back in sight for the big finish, she is having too much fun sliding down a grassy hill to notice. So cute.

There's also several scenes were Yanda shows up again, inviting himself along on outings. The other two- Koiwai and Jumbo- kind of ignore him, question his antics, talk over him- I get the distinct impression they don't really like him but are being polite. I think he used to be one of their co-workers? Can't recall now, I am reading these books rather spaced apart. I keep expecting more explanation about Yotsuba's background, but there was none of that here. It is all about her now, in the moment.

In volume 10, Yotsuba plays house under her dad's desk- he tries to be patient but you can tell it makes it hard to work! She engages him in games where she makes up the rules- seemingly on-the-spot and in her favor. She helps her dad make pancakes, and that jerk Yanda walks in and mocks her efforts. Yotsuba gets frustrated and- because flipping pancakes is difficult, she tries harder- which means slamming them down on the stovetop. I laughed so hard both my kids came into the room to see what was so funny, so I read them that episode. My twelve-year-old said "I want to slam pancakes next time!" Nooo.

Jumbo sees photos of the outing Yotsuba and the girls went on to see the hot-air-balloons, and it becomes apparent he is jealous of Tora for always being in Asagi's company. Yotsuba really likes playing with the giant exercise ball Fuuka has, so Asagi lets her borrow it. She takes it home and throws it around- causing trouble! Her dad catches her out in a lie and takes her on a walk so she will confess in front of a shrine (for fear of the god). It was handled very well. She goes with Ena to Miura's house where she sees the pieces of the cardboard robot- which she still believes is real- so the older girls scramble to explain why it's there and make it appear to come back to life. She also rides an elevator for the first time. Lots of fun stuff.

I did find it a bit odd that in this volume, some of the pictures that show Yotsuba's handwriting, it's in english. I preferred to see it with the original japanese characters (as in previous volumes), with the translation next to the illustration. I don't know why that was changed.

Borrowed from the public library

Rating: 3/5          224 pages each, 2009 and 2010 respectively

Yotsuba&!

Vols 7 and 8
by Kiyohiko Azuma

More fun: Yotsuba plays 'telephone' using plastic cups and string, with the girls nextdoor (inspiring me to do this with my youngest, who'd never seen such a thing). She goes bike riding with Ena and her friend- is amazed to see Miura's unicycle. Thinks Miura must be a princess because the apartment building she lives in is so huge -like a castle! (doesn't realize that many families live there). She's shocked to find out that Fuuka is going to bake a cake (thinks they only come from bakeries) and then disappointed how it turns out. Goes on an errand to buy lunch for herself and dad at the convenience store- but comes home with candy instead of his noodles. It's actually funny how that happened. She goes to visit a ranch with her dad and the gang- Yanda invites himself along- the other guys seem just annoyed at his presence but Yotsuba is incensed. And of course he teases her the whole time. The guys squabble like little kids. Yotsuba gets to milk a cow, annd punches a sheep- because it butted her first!

Volume throws you off at first- because Yotsuba decides to 'play opposites' where she says "I'm full!" for being hungry and so on. Ends up yelling "yucky!" in the middle of a restaurant, to the embarassment of the adults accompanying her. It's funny to me that she insists on using a knife and fork because it's "a fancy meal" and her dad says um, why don't you use something easier like chopsticks? But for us it would be the opposite! She goes with her dad to a cultural day at Fuuka's school- once again disappointed by the cake. It's touching to see how the girls scramble to find a way to please her- they really care about her, or just don't want to see her cry! There's a typhoon. Yotsuba thinks the powerful rain and wind is awesome, and wants to play out in it, not realizing the danger. Jumbo stays with her when her dad has to be away for work, and Yotsuba is upset when Yanda drops by- but the trouble he causes ends in good fun. There's a religious festival in town where the children help pull a dashi to the shrine- Yotsuba takes part with enthusiasm, but it seems only because she's promised candy in the end. Miura has a part to play in the festival where she dresses up in traditional finery, cementing Yotsuba's assumption that her friend is really a princess.

Two things at the end really made me laugh, because I can relate. Yotsuba sees a man at the festival wearing a traditional japanese loincloth- and thinks it's hilarious that "you can totally see his butt!" Later she's out to do shopping with her dad and gets completely sidetracked when they go through a park with oak trees- obsessed with picking up all the acorns she can find. This. My six-year-old.

Rating: 3/5      208 and 224 pages respectively, 2007