Toto!: The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1
Grade 8 Up–Some manga books have mostly dreamlike narratives and attempt only slightly to follow conventional who, what, and where plot guidelines. This book is one such title. It tells the story of a giganticHindenburg-like airship that is hijacked by a secretive group called the Man Chicken Family. Half of the story takes place in the air, the other half after the airship crashes in what looks like the American Midwest. Dorothy and Toto enter the story, with supernatural developments quickly following. The black-and-white artwork is on the ultraspare end of the manga-style spectrum. Each panel has little background, shading, or facial features. There are also frequent meta asides explaining Japanese customs to American readers, or commenting on the action as it occurs. Too much is lost in translation here and while the original may be a hit overseas, this title will only be a niche interest for purists.–John Leighton, Brooklyn Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.