A dangerous quest to feed an impoverished land leads to chance encounters and awe-inspiring sights.Shuna, the prince of a humble, struggling country, acts on the advice of a dying traveler from an Eastern land to seek out seeds that will grow bountiful grains. What he finds is a hostile city built on greed with an active slave trade. After meeting Thea and her little sister, Shuna fights to free them from enslavers. Every scene in this cinematic work stands apart with breathtaking watercolors aided by expert staging and blocking. The sights along Shuna's journey range from a derelict ship in a treacherous desert to supernatural creatures and settings. The certainty and simplicity of Shuna's motivations along with Thea's own narrative arc allow the story to move nimbly from one larger-than-life spectacle to another. The pages read right-to-left manga style, while large panels and minimal dialogue create an immediate, immersive experience for readers. The narration sits outside or along the edges of panels, allowing the lush visuals maximum room to impress. Afterwords from the author and translator describe the story's roots in a Tibetan folktale as well as comparisons to Miyazaki's later animated works; this story, translated from Japanese, was originally published in Japan in 1983 before Miyazaki rose to fame with Studio Ghibli. The story's cultural origins are cued through characters' garb and other visual elements.A reimagined folktale as grand as its painted visuals are sublime. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)

Gr 6 Up— Shuna is a prince who lives in a poor land where it is difficult for anything to grow. When a dying traveler tells Shuna about a golden grain that grows somewhere in the west, it awakens his desire to try to find this grain and save his people. Most of this book is Shuna's journey, as he explores unfamiliar landscapes that at first contain empty buildings and looming statues, and later signs of a dystopian civilization. Since Miyazaki is primarily known for his films, it isn't surprising that this book has a sweeping, cinematic quality. Sometimes the world is enchanting, and sometimes it's violent and dangerous. There are plenty of amazing and surreal landscapes, and the world is filled with fantastic beasts of all shapes and sizes, which make for a visually stunning book. Shuna seems to be a sheltered innocent at first, but he is also trained to survive, and he uses his weapons (including bullets that he made himself) to fight attackers and slave traders. Readers will become emotionally invested in what happens to Shuna, hoping that he will ultimately defeat his enemies, meet allies that he can trust, and find the grain that can change the future of his people. This book was published decades ago in Japanese, but is now finally published in English, and it will inspire some long-overdue appreciation. VERDICT For Miyazaki fans, as well as any readers who would enjoy fantastic stories that unfold in surprising ways.— Andrea Lipinski

Prince Shuna despairs that his people live in near poverty and never have enough to eat, so he becomes enthralled by the promise of a magical golden seed that will provide plentiful harvests. Shuna defies his village's beliefs and journeys west to search for a fabled land of gods where he will find more. Along the way, he is confronted with unsavory slave trade and industrialization that has destroyed the land and removed people from the creation of their own food. This is one of Miyazaki's earliest works, but there are some themes ubiquitous to his career, which are explored in an afterword. The watercolor illustrations are soothingly beautiful and truly make this a timeless tale. While the format of this is not strictly in line with traditional manga, this title is nevertheless sure to be treasured by Miyazaki fans. Purchase where Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is adored, or where your readers love Studio Ghibli films.

A dangerous quest to feed an impoverished land leads to chance encounters and awe-inspiring sights.Shuna, the prince of a humble, struggling country, acts on the advice of a dying traveler from an Eastern land to seek out seeds that will grow bountiful grains. What he finds is a hostile city built on greed with an active slave trade. After meeting Thea and her little sister, Shuna fights to free them from enslavers. Every scene in this cinematic work stands apart with breathtaking watercolors aided by expert staging and blocking. The sights along Shuna's journey range from a derelict ship in a treacherous desert to supernatural creatures and settings. The certainty and simplicity of Shuna's motivations along with Thea's own narrative arc allow the story to move nimbly from one larger-than-life spectacle to another. The pages read right-to-left manga style, while large panels and minimal dialogue create an immediate, immersive experience for readers. The narration sits outside or along the edges of panels, allowing the lush visuals maximum room to impress. Afterwords from the author and translator describe the story's roots in a Tibetan folktale as well as comparisons to Miyazaki's later animated works; this story, translated from Japanese, was originally published in Japan in 1983 before Miyazaki rose to fame with Studio Ghibli. The story's cultural origins are cued through characters' garb and other visual elements.A reimagined folktale as grand as its painted visuals are sublime. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)

Animator Miyazaki (Spirited Away) has released only a few comics in his career; this lush fantasy, available in English for the first time, is cause for celebration. First published in Japan in 1983, it takes inspiration from a Tibetan folktale, spun into an original story with Miyazaki’s humanistic, abundantly imaginative touch. Young Prince Shuna leaves his small, struggling kingdom (“Beautiful and brutal was the nature,” intones the lyrical translation) in search of a fabled “golden grain” to feed his people. Traveling through wastelands with only a few pockets of civilization, he finds a harsh society driven by violence, slavery, and desperation. After a descent into the baffling Land of the God-Folk, he must rely on the kindness and strength of two sisters he once saved. Miyazaki is truly a master of worldbuilding, and this ecologically devastated fairy tale world feels more and more prescient of a postapocalyptic future. The format is a cross between manga and a picture book, with blocks of text describing the action in the delicate, earth-toned watercolor illustrations. The panels are packed with evocative cultural details: embroidered costumes, weathered buildings, rooms painted with murals and hung with tapestries, and towering statues from a forgotten past. Miyazaki’s art has a timeless beauty, and the theme of small human kindnesses redeeming a cruel and dehumanizing world feels more relevant than ever. Don’t miss this one. (Nov.)Due to a production error, this review originally published without its star.