Kiki's Delivery Service (A Puffin Book)

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Kiki leaves home because of witch tradition, but unlike other Ghibli heroes, she jumps at the idea — even skipping a planned camping trip with her father because she’s so excited. And Balistrieri’s translation makes that very clear by not vilifying the locals too much and, instead, endearing us to them as much as to Kiki. Founded in 2018 by Willow Heath and Jess Esa, Books and Bao offers reviews of the most recent global fiction, poetry, and graphic novels along with inspiring cultural journeys. She is not perfect; Kiki’s flaws are her curiosity and her eagerness to bite off more than she can chew. While it’s difficult to say what exact age range Kiki is for, since I enjoyed it thoroughly at the age of 29, it perfectly balances a formulaic plot structure, the rhythm of which is a complete joy, with storytelling that’s immersive thanks to the use of language, grammar, ideas, and expressions that are mature and do not patronise, save for a few moments where the onomatopoeia is a little forced and jarring.

The profound loneliness of Kiki’s Delivery Service - Polygon The profound loneliness of Kiki’s Delivery Service - Polygon

The book did not have any crazy plot twists but had a bunch of mini-adventures that were simple and fun to read. Like Sophie, she’s a small figure against a vast landscape, but while Sophie seems dwarfed by the ominous Wastes, Kiki soars triumphantly, ready for her adventure.With Studio Ghibli’s library now on digital and streaming services , we’ve surveyed the studio’s history, impact, and biggest themes. She’s never able to recover that relationship in the same way, but the new gap between them speaks to the idea of accepting loneliness as part of growing up.

Review: Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono | Books and Bao Review: Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono | Books and Bao

Together they explore a new city and Kiki learns what is it like to be on her own for the first time. But unlike in these other films, Kiki sets off on her journey because she’s eager to grow up and take charge. Even after she makes new friends, many moments of the film focus on Sophie by herself, quietly, wondering if she’s even earned the closeness of these relationships she’s found.She even delivers a love note and on New Year’s Eve, she delivers a gear that helps the clock ring at midnight to bring in the New Year for the whole town. All in all, I found the novel to be a fun, quick read that young readers looking for a little enchantment will devour. Her tenacity and her curiosity go hand-in-hand, leading her over and again into and out of trouble, with Jiji sometimes serving as her conscience and sometimes being entirely voiceless and useless — as all our consciences often are. Kiki’s sadness affects her magic so she can no longer fly, but the separation with Jiji comes from something else entirely.

Book Review: “Kiki’s Delivery Service” by Eiko Kadono Book Review: “Kiki’s Delivery Service” by Eiko Kadono

Along with her black cat companion, Jiji, Kiki moves to the seaside village of Koriko, where she has to make a life for herself using just her ability to fly on a broomstick.Armed with her mother’s broom and her familiar, Jiji, Kiki lands in a new city full of new people and establishes herself as the resident witch. While the protagonist is 13, the reading level of this story is probably more appropriate for younger readers and would also make a great read-aloud, even for those who aren’t reading on their own quite yet. Just when she was at her lowest and felt a bit hopeless about being on her own in this city, she came up with the idea to do odd tasks and deliver things to people on her broom because she is able to get around so efficiently.

Book Review: Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono - U.OSU Book Review: Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono - U.OSU

Each chapter features a quirky new challenge for Kiki (like rescuing musical instruments from an express train in time for a spring concert, or fixing the town clock just in time for the town’s traditional New Year’s run), which she solves with a little ingenuity, luck, and positivity. Studio Ghibli films often interrogate the notion of loneliness and emotional connection, centering on heroes that reluctantly strike out on their own, such as Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle and Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke. Her curiosity about the poem leads to it being lost, and so Kiki — with the help of her talking cat familiar Jiji — must find a solution to the problem she created. While it would be possible for this story to leave a sour taste — a witch, heavily judged and shunned, must prove to the locals that she is not, in fact, evil — instead the theme reads a little differently: local people learn from Kiki to be kind and accepting of others, especially those who are unusual.These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. The content of this site is published by the site owner(s) and is not a statement of advice, opinion, or information pertaining to The Ohio State University. In Howl’s Moving Castle, for instance, Sophie’s loneliness starts even before the Witch of the Waste turns her into an elderly woman. There were a few parts that were a bit choppy and oddly written, but only messed up the flow, never the understanding of the story. This novel is about a young witch who goes off on her own for the first time with only her cat Jiji as a companion.