A strong informational resource.
What goes into anime and manga production? This book traces the history and sheds light on the present day.
As part of a four-book series, this volume recounts the production side of both types of Japanese storytelling media, beginning with a short section on the origin of film and moving on to animation technologies with a specific focus on Japan. Next, readers learn about the typical career paths of mangaka (manga authors and illustrators), the major publishing houses, and the production cycle of anime, including how it’s adapted for international audiences. Bolte covers the common artistic styles, which include features like big eyes and range from cutesy (chibi and kawaii) to more realistic. Finally, the author closes by looking at other related formats—feature films, light novels (which are originally released in serialized form), and video games. The sidebars and photo captions highlight pertinent case studies and explore topics such as overworked artists, how the racial identity of characters is interpreted by some non-Japanese audiences, and the career of Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. Written in an approachable style, the book includes seminal examples that serve as reading and viewing suggestions for new fans or greatest-hits montages for those in the know. Both types of readers will glean some insider knowledge in this work that’s aimed at Western audiences and assumes some previous knowledge of anime and manga.
A strong informational resource. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, resources, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9798765662755
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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