Bunny Drop Vol. 1 (Manga)
Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: Marh 2010
Price: $12.99
Creator: Yumi Unita
Format: 196 pgs.; B&W
ISBN: 978-0-75953-122-2
Age Rating: Teen
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Thirty-year-old Daikichi is appalled when he discovers that his family members would rather turn six-year-old Rin over to an orphanage than take her in when her father, Daikichi’s grandfather, dies.  Without thinking about the consequences, Daikichi takes Rin home with him, only later realizing he now is responsible for child care, food, clothing, and all the other things that come with being a parent.

The endearing qualities of this unconventional family sneak up on you. Daikichi isn’t particularly handsome and Rin isn’t any more adorable than your average six-year-old, and that may be why their troubles, challenges, and successes begin to matter so much.  The characters, the way they interact with each other, and particularly Daikichi’s inner dialog all ring true, and Unita manages to make the mundane duties that come with raising a child alone interesting without resorting to cliche or feminizing Daikichi by turning him into a mother figure.  Originally published in Japan as josei, or comics for women, Bunny Drop will have cross-over appeal to fans of family dramas or late-in-life coming of age stories.

--Eva Volin: Supervising Children's Librarian for the Alameda Free Library in California.