Eiko Kadono

While the warm and sweet anime film from legendary Ghibli studios captured the essence of this endearing modern-day classic for children, I have to say the book is even better. This is mainly due to some tweaks to the secondary characters — some expanded, others altered — in the film, and the ending; not to mention Jiji, who in Eiko Kadono’s original story, remains with Kiki. I suspect most readers, young or old, are brought to this book by the film, so I don’t really view that as a show more spoiler.

Filled with warmth and whimsy and pure sweetness, I won’t delve into the story, since it has been lovingly covered by so many reviewers. I will, however, speak about the marvelous Puffin Book edition I picked up and greatly enjoyed. It’s the kind of beautifully conceived book that if given as a gift by a parent to their child, will immediately become a treasure.

While I opted for the paperback edition, this is no throwaway paperback. It’s as gorgeous as the photo, and the colorful cover illustrations by Joe Todd-Stantonon are slightly raised; you can feel them as you run your fingers across them. The black and white illustrations within the narrative are just as charming. It has a fine quality, a weightier and thicker cover than most paperbacks. The exquisiteness of the design includes front and back folded flaps, just as though it were a hardcover dust jacket. This is great for younger readers because it wears better, and is less likely to be bent and/or be damaged through normal use, protecting its contents.

The translation of this English edition by Emily Balistrieri is so excellent you would never know this tale was originally written in another language. Lastly, this Puffin Book edition has some sweet bonus stuff for readers when Kiki’s charming story concludes. I won’t list them, so it remains a surprise if you choose this edition.

A sweet charming story and a wonderful edition worthy of its contents, this comes highly recommended. show less

Timeless Studio Ghibli

If you could get a warm hug from a book, it would be this book. After reading this I just wanted to polish a broom (first find one seeing as the Roomba has put it out of commission) gather up one of my puppies, maybe Pippin (I don't have a cat - damn my allergies, Jiji is adorable) and take to the blue skies with a little portable radio to listen to some sweet sounds.

I love that the world in which this story takes place is not a dark world like ours. A 10-13 year old show more "coming of age" is a petrifying thing. A 10-13 year old moving away from home to live in another city and help strangers - damn unthinkable. But this book makes you forget the harsh realities of Earth season 2023 and transports you firmly to a world where people like Osono make you feel at home, where ships are littered with belly-band covered wine bottles, where love poems are scribbled on leaves and bring joy, where bells that ring at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve bring pinkie promises and folksy races around a quaint but massive city.

I loved this journey so much for it's slice of life simplicity with a dash of wonderous magic.

Listen, can you hear it?

Book 3: Readathon show less

The Studio Ghibli adaptation of Kadono's classic children's story has always been one of my favourite films, so I was absolutely delighted to be able to finally read the novel. Unfortunately my Japanese is rusty, so I picked up the English translation, hoping that the charming story of a young with and her feline companion would retain its original personality. I'm sure that sme of the linguistic subtleties are lost in the translation, but Kadono's themes of independence and adventure (as show more well as Kiki's adorably spunky personality) still shone through. The only major difference between the two mediums is the climax, and I'm honestly surprised that Miyazaki chose not to use Kiki's dramatic save of New Years; it's a much better story than saving an arship from crashing, which is very clichéd! show less

This is a gentle, unassuming little book, but I'm not sure how many readers "10 & up" will actually enjoy it. It's marketed as a mid-grade novel but feels more like a sort of advanced chapter book - something for a 7-year-old, maybe. The conflicts in the story are minimal and easily overcome. It's possible some of the book's quality has been lost in translation; the prose is very simple but the dialogue is overly formal. How many American pre-teens would say, "Hearing you say that puts me at show more ease."? show less