Similar in tone to Beverly Cleary’s Ramona, Yotsuba&! is full of good humour and charm.

Yotsuba and her daddy have just moved to a new neighbourhood-and Yotsuba, who’s lived a rather sheltered life up to this point is determined to enjoy everything.  She’s going to draw pictures and catch cicadas and ring the doorbells so that all the people come out.  She’s going to sleep in the beds at the furniture store and figure out how the air conditioner works and compose a song about ramen noodles-and she’d like everyone else to join in!

Yotsuba&! (The Japanese title, Yotsuba To! translates as Yotsuba And…) is a light, comedic manga series, set in a single neighbourhood in contemporary Japan.  Yotsuba’s enthusiasm has universal appeal, and many of her adventures will be instantly recognizable to the Western reader-but at the same time, the detailed backgrounds and Japanese cultural references create a strong sense of place.  The supporting cast is well-developed, with each character having a distinct look and personality.

Each chapter is relatively self-contained, covering a single event or discovery.  There are some ongoing plot arcs, but they play a relatively minor role-Yotsuba&! would be enjoyable even if read out of order.  One minor gripe-the translators have chosen to leave the original Japanese sound effects in place and superimpose translations on top or place them at the bottom of the panel.  Those translations are set in a very small font.  It’s a small issue they could easily fix in later volumes.

To sum up-great humour and cute stories, beautifully drawn in a completely appropriate cartoony style.

Grade Level Equivalent: 2-3ish?

Rating:  ★★★★