My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro, from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, is a genuinely sweet family film. It is set in Japan in 1958 where two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, have just moved to a house in the country with the father, a professor. The mother is sick in the hospital and the move allowed the family to be nearer to her. It takes the girls some time to adjust to their new home and its peculiarities like soot sprites and the wide open countryside. Mei, who is about five, wanders off one day after a bunny-like creature and finds a family of "totoros," magical creatures who live in a giant tree. Satsuki, age ten, is initially skeptical when Mei tells her what she's found, but their father helps make magic seem possible to her and the girls become friends with the totoros.

There is, admittedly, not much of a conflict in this plot. Instead, the drama stems from everyday situations: Satsuki and Mei's relationship, the adjustment of moving to a new home, Satsuki's maturation, the mother's sickness, Mei's disappearance, and trouble with an ornery neighbor boy. Most of the conflicts do not reach a peak and are not wholly resolved during the film, as might be expected for an American children's film, but this lends authenticity to My Neighbor Totoro. The issues that Satsuki and Mei deal with are familiar to many children, regardless of nationality or residence, and they are portrayed in compellingly natural ways.

This is a beautiful film that is highly recommended for public library collections. School libraries should also consider it if it has a place in the curriculum. Children and adults who like Japanese animation, family films, and magic will be fans, especially those who enjoy other Miyazaki films. ( )

Annotation:
Satusuki, Mei (her 4 year old sister) and their father move to the country to be closer to the mother who is hospitalized recovering from an illness. Mei discovers Totoros, friendly forest creatures, who inhabit the forests and tries to introduce them to Satusuki and their father.

My Review:
This graphic novel written and drawn for children is a good introduction to Manga and Anime fans. The text is simple and used sparingly. The illustrations are wonderful which depicts the forest and fields in their new home close to the hospital where the mother is recovering from an illness. Mei (the four year old sister of Satusuki) discovers friendly and shy Totoros (forest creatures). She tries to introduce them to her family, but the Totoros are shy and run away. Father, Satusuki, and Mei go by bike to visit their mother in the hospital. Mei tells her mother about the creatures and mother assures her that she believes her and will be glad to meet them when she returns home. The story is sweet and a good introduction to the genre.

Other Reviews:

School Library Journal Review: Gr 3-5 This review tells of the animated film based on these stories. My Neighbor Totoro 2 is the second of the series. The reviewer speaks highly of the illustrations as well, “The story develops leisurely and is told primarily through the illustrations, with a minimum of text. Bright, cheerful colors reflect Totoro's amiable humor and depict a veritable dream world for young children, where lush green fields and forests populated with the quirky, friendly Totoros provide an idyllic playground.” I was glad to read about the films and other selections in the series. This information would be useful to seek the other books in the series and the films.
This was the only review I was able to find for this graphic novel for children. A Google search as well, did not lead me to other reviews. ( )

If I could, I would travel everywhere by catbus. ( )