Fairy Idol Kanon Volume 1
While the audience for most manga is teenagers and adults, UDON’s Manga for Kids line is playing a role in changing that. This new series—one of four aimed at young readers ages seven and up—deals with heroines in elementary school. The three main characters, who love to sing, meet a fairy who claims to live off the energy of beautiful harmonies. Now, with their fairy friend in tow, the three girls see if they can become stars. Sure enough, there is indeed something magical about their singing, and it catches the attention of those around them, fairies and humans alike. The art is sweet and affectionate, and the story line deals with such core values as teamwork and helping others. Younger children interested in the manga their older siblings are reading could have fun curling up with a book like this. It reads right to left, just as it did in its original Japanese, and proves that manga doesn’t solely belong in the hands of young adults and grownups. Grades 2-5. --Danica Davidson