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Reviewed by Penny Kenny Leave it to Pet, Volume 4 goes on sale January 5, 2010. When nine-year-old Noboru recycles a plastic bottle, it comes back as PET, a robot devoted to helping him. Unfortunately, while Pet's intentions are good, his execution of said intentions leaves a lot to be desired. In this volume, PET helps Noboru pick out a present for his mother, washes the car, and plays soccer, among other things. Leave it to Pet is adorable. While clearly meant for younger children, this collection of short stories will appeal to anyone who enjoys gentle humor. Like Kiyohiko Azuma's Yotsuba&!, Pet finds the humor and oddity in everyday occurrences. Who hasn't had trouble coming up with a gift for a relative? Or didn't like the one thing available to snack on? Or tried to make a new toy work the way its box said it would? Except for the talking, recycled robots, Pet is a series that's grounded in reality. Readers can relate to what Noboru and friends are going through, even as they laugh at PET's over-reactions to situations. Seriously, the characters are adorable. PET is eager and enthusiastic, but not overly bright. L'il Bagz is easily distracted. Plaz is the brains, so to speak, of the "Recycled Heroes" crew, and Alu likes cute things. Noboru, meanwhile, is the long-suffering yet ultimately optimistic recipient of the Heroes' help. In other words, he's the perpetually put-upon Big Brother to PET and the others. Creator Kenji Sonishi doesn't write down for his readers. There's no "wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Isn't this cute?" at work here. Sonishi takes his material and children seriously. Each stand-alone story generally runs between five and ten pages, though the soccer storyline runs through several chapters. The shorter length works well for beginning, younger, and struggling readers. The stories are long enough to be enjoyable, but not long enough to frustrate an unsure reader. Sonishi's art is clean-looking. He doesn't add a lot of unnecessary lines to the characters. There's also very little background detail. The focus of the panel is kept on the main characters and the action, making it easy for younger readers to follow what's going on. Also included in the volume is a bonus craft feature that details how to make a dog out of a plastic bottle and modeling clay. It's explained well and looks like a fun snowy day project for those who enjoy crafts. If you're looking for a gateway manga for younger children or just want something light to read for yourself, give Leave it to Pet a try. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
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