Happy Happy Clover, Vol. 1
Clover and her bunny friends live in Crescent Forest, which is a happy place except when Clover’s wild schemes get them all in trouble. Together, the fearless rabbits make new friends, learn about the secrets of their home, and discover the dangers of the outside world. VIZ Media is beginning to expand its manga offerings for younger children beyond media tie-in stories, and this sweet tale is a good start. As should be expected in a manga about bunny rabbits, the cuteness factor is very high, but Tatsuyama’s tale only occasionally slips into “let’s learn a lesson” mode. The art is clear and easy to follow, with the characters distinct enough to be able to keep them straight and the few scary moments appropriately creepy, but not over the top. Libraries looking for manga for elementary-age readers, as opposed to “all-ages” titles that are really more appealing to middle-school patrons, will be excited by this new offering and should expect requests for the second volume of Clover’s adventures. Grades 3-6. --Snow Wildsmith