In this Alice in Wonderland-esque graphic novel, Ichiro falls down a tanuki hole into the world of Japanese mythology. Ichiro, a Japanese-American, learns more about his heritage when he moves back to Japan to live with his mother and grandfather. He is confused over the Japanese culture vs. the American culture. He tries to help his grandfather capture a monkey who is stealing fruit. However, the monkey turns out to be a tanuki, a raccoon-dog type creature from Japanese mythology, who leads him down the hole into the world of Japanese gods. He is mistaken as a ghost which therefore leads him into a power struggle between the kingdom of Yomi and the kingdom of Ama. In this power struggle, he learns about dishonesty and trust. His journey helps Ichiro reconcile the two halves of his heritage.
I enjoyed this book due to the different levels that it can be read on; you could read it just as a fun fantasy filled adventure, a moving story about the connection between a grandfather and grandson, or a story about reconciling different cultures. The art style is fresh and beautiful and the writing is realistic. Graphic novel enthusiasts will enjoy this superbly crafted story.

— Mara B.