Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai

Starred review from December 7, 2009
The heroic but sweet-tempered samurai rabbit celebrates the 25th anniversary of his first appearance in comics with this fully painted hardcover. Yokai are the evil supernatural creatures who can invade this world on dark nights; Usagi is walking through a forest on such a night when a distraught mother begs him to find her daughter, who's been stolen by a shape-changing kitsune. He meets a variety of hostile spirits and demons as he undertakes that mission. He also encounters his enigmatic acquaintance Sasuke the Demon Queller, from whom he learns that the yokai are gathering to swarm into the human world and conquer it. It's up to the two anthropomorphized little animals to stop them. Sakai's art deftly demonstrates that comics can be simultaneously cartoony and scary, especially in a double-page spread of the Demon Queen and her hoard; moreover, the comic's design, linework, and coloring are simply lovely. Unlike the bleak cynicism of many contemporary comics, this beautifully produced little book shows how much love Sakai still has for his rabbit ronin. A 2009 Eisner Award nominee for Best Continuing Series, Usagi Yojimbo
is a genuine pleasure for readers of all ages. Ages 9–12.

December 15, 2009
Grades 4-7 Simplicity has long been the hallmark of Sakais stories of a wandering rabbit samurai and his various trials throughout a flawlessly researched historical Japan. To help celebrate the comic-book series twenty-fifth year comes its first original graphic novel (and, unusually, in full color, too). The tale is a simple one: Usagi follows a tricky fox spirit into a demon-infested wood at the behest of a mother who has lost her child therein. Whereas Sakais narrative minimalism is deceptive over the course of the seriessmall events and intrigues form a much larger tapestry that produces an epic sweepin this stand-alone tale, the simplicity makes for a story that is essentially one large fight scene. Its a cool fight scene, to be sure, with the dogged samurai taking on a phantasmagoria of weird spirits and demons lifted from Japanese folklore and meeting up with an ancient demon hunter who holds the key to the storys somewhat predictable twist. A light read elevated by Sakais gorgeous images and masterfully unfussy composition.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)