The Big Adventures of Majoko Volume 1
Young witch Majoko sends her diary to the human world to find an adventuring partner and through it finds shy, quiet Nana. Together the two girls have a rollicking series of escapades—helping a werewolf, catching a thief, and traveling back to Majoko’s magical realm. This funny story is one of UDON’s new Manga for Kids titles, aimed at younger readers than most manga. Parents will like that Majoko and Nana try hard to do the right thing and are eager to learn from their mistakes. Readers, who will probably be girls, will like that Nana and Majoko have the type of adventures that in comics often seem limited to boys. Characters are simply drawn, but the backgrounds are nicely detailed and the plot elements are clearly thought out and easy to follow. There is the occasional appearance of a cute boy to make young girls smile, but the content is very appropriate for the intended audience. Libraries will find this a welcome and well-crafted addition to their kids’ comic collections. Grades 3-6. --Snow Wildsmith