Starred review from March 30, 2020
Kyoto-born, Brooklyn-based cartoonist Hara evokes the wonder of childhood, with equal parts precision and whimsy, in this meticulously observed debut. Noriko “Nori” Iwasaki, a rambunctious, imaginative little girl, spends her days in 1980s suburban Japan with her Grandmother while her parents are at work. She chases magical rabbits across her preschool’s playfield, explores the neighborhood’s ditches and shopping district, celebrates at festivals, plays with sassy local kids and the varied urban wildlife that hide around every shrub, and, in the book’s longest sequence, vacations in Hawaii on a trip won at a fair. The world of adults hums away in the background, still healing from WWII; old-timers reminisce about wartime privations, and the Hawaii escapade is held up as “a symbol of peace and revival” by the neighborhood business association. But Hara always returns to Nori’s private world, masterfully immersing the reader in a small child’s perception, cramming panels with Richard Scarry–like ramshackle houses and busy gardens, irresistible fantasy sequences, and details—an ice cream advertisement, fish swimming in a tidal pool—a preschooler would light on. Nori and her playmates are sketched in loose lines with pitch-perfect body language. These satisfying sunny adventures succeed at being specific to their time and place while tapping into a sense of collective young memory, leaving the reader lighter and nostalgic.
June 12, 2020
Gr 7 Up-Four-year-old Noriko Iwasaki lives outside of Osaka, Japan. Her grandmother cares for her while her parents work, but Nori, a curious, headstrong preschooler, often runs off on adventures. In six chapters, we watch Nori navigate the world around her and experience life at home and at school, where she finds a best friend and coconspirator in a child just as bold and mischievous as she is. The story goes deeper as elders talk about their lives during World War II and readers learn about different Japanese traditions. Nori's imaginary life is given the same weight as her real world, as she converses with a tadpole, walks with penguins, and joins rabbits to pound mochi on the moon. Each vignette is drawn largely in black and white with a single color adding dimension. VERDICT This sweet peek into the world of a four-year-old will charm readers of all ages.-Carla Riemer, Albany H.S., CA
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 15, 2020
In this delightful, already Ignatz-nominated debut by Japan-born, Brooklyn-based Hara, three-year-old Nori is cared for by her grandmother (who can't always keep up) while both parents work. Each of these six adventurous shorts features a contrasting single color overlaid on otherwise black-and-white panels, capturing the incorrigibly energetic Nori's exploits. The opening, salmon-tinted chapter sets the tone for expectations: Nori is young enough that she still demands to be carried even as her grandmother tires, then carelessly bold enough to run off alone, causing a trail of worried tears. In preschool, her impish, disruptive exploits are tinted in orange. In other chapters, Nori discovers Creatures of a Ditch in a shallow waterway (with aqua highlights), meets a mythical expeditioner (in blue), and makes a kite while Mommy is sick (in rose). The longest (and single color-mismatched) chapter?introduced with a salmon chapter page but enhanced throughout in brown?is also the collection's highlight, presenting a raffle-won Nori-and-Grandma trip to Hawaii. Amidst the innocent fun, Hara skillfully inserts possible challenges ahead?aging caregivers, overworked parents, family dysfunction, bullying, even homelessness?to create enlightening entertainment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)