Youth Services Book review on The Birth of Kitaro
Format: Paperback
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4.5
Genre: Fantasy/horror
What did you like about the book? What a quirky superhero! Kitaro, a yokai, or demon, was born of undead parents. His super power is his hair, and the ghost of his twice dead dad occasionally accompanies him on his quests in the form of an eyeball. Black and white manga-like comics, fresh and very inventive, harness creatures from Japanese mythology, as well as other myth traditions around the world, to present funny and creepy bad guys 'n gals. This is a fun and entertaining comic, sure to appeal to wide audiences.
Anything you didn’t like about it? This is not a criticism, but an observation: kids used to color comics might pass this one over because it's in black and white. Insist they try it!
To whom would you recommend this book? Offer this to Miyazaki and Kibuishi fans ages 8 and up.
Who should buy this book? Elementary, middle, high school and public libraries
The Birth of Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki, translated by Zack Davisson. Drawn & Quarterly, 2016. 9781770462281
Format: Paperback
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4.5
Genre: Fantasy/horror
What did you like about the book? What a quirky superhero! Kitaro, a yokai, or demon, was born of undead parents. His super power is his hair, and the ghost of his twice dead dad occasionally accompanies him on his quests in the form of an eyeball. Black and white manga-like comics, fresh and very inventive, harness creatures from Japanese mythology, as well as other myth traditions around the world, to present funny and creepy bad guys 'n gals. This is a fun and entertaining comic, sure to appeal to wide audiences.
Anything you didn’t like about it? This is not a criticism, but an observation: kids used to color comics might pass this one over because it's in black and white. Insist they try it!
To whom would you recommend this book? Offer this to Miyazaki and Kibuishi fans ages 8 and up.
Who should buy this book? Elementary, middle, high school and public libraries
Where would you shelve it ? Graphic novels, children's or teen
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? If you read graphic novels, yes
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA
Date of review: December 7, 2017