By Kiyohiko Azuma
Published by Yen Press
Rating: All Ages

I stand by the idea that good art (and poetry) can take a scene or an idea that has been done to death and make it seem new. It is awe-inspiring when it happens, because we tend to let ourselves forget that some things in our life are extraordinary, mainly because we experience them on a near daily basis. That rush of curiosity and the excitement (or terror) brought on by experiencing something for the first time is priceless.

What makes Yotsuba&! so incredibly spectacular is Kiyohiko Azuma’s spot-on ability to remind his readers that even the tiniest common occurrences in life were amazing when they were young. His main character, Yotsuba, is an embodiment of every ounce of wide-eyed wonder that resides in any child who is learning about the world for the first time. It is a sweet, charming reminder that no matter how trite something may be to an adult, a child can still find joy in it.

The story begins with five-year-old Yotsuba and her father, Koiwai, moving to a new home. Shortly after their arrival, Yotsuba makes friends with their neighbors, the Ayases, who have three daughters: Asagi, the oldest, is in college; Fuuka, the middle child, is a mild-mannered high school girl; and closest to Yostuba’s age is Ena, a dedicated student. Helping with the move is Koiwai’s best friend who goes by the nickname Jumbo, simply because of his tremendous height. Each chapter is based around a new adventure that Yotsuba experiences, ranging from playing on a swing set to visiting the zoo. And, without fail, every new chapter manages to present something mundane and make it special again.

It is also a lot of fun to see Yotsuba struggle with ideas and terms she cannot fully understand. One chapter in particular has her learning about global warming from Ena. Calling it, “Glowball warning,” Yotsuba begins accusing people of being “enemies of the earth” if they are running their air conditioning units. She is horrified to find her own father using a/c in the house, but quickly changes her mind when Asagi convinces her that a/c only makes cool air, so it couldn’t possibly make the world hotter.

In another chapter she finds Fuuka in a foul mood. When Fuuka explains to Yotsuba that she likes a boy who doesn’t seem to like her back, Yotsuba tries to come to grips with what “heartbreak” is. While Fuuka’s first example goes horribly wrong, the reader is reminded of how a child has a very limited concept of relationships or deep sadness. Yotsuba runs around the Ayase household, telling everyone that “Fuuka has heartbreak” and asks how to make it better. It’s as humorous as it is innocent—Asagi finds it hilarious and Fuuka is completely mortified when it turns out that everyone in the family knows about her situation.

There are also moments of pure, spontaneous silliness that will leave you cracking up. Watching Koiwai throw a pair of boxer shorts over his head and declaring himself to be “Boxerman” in front of Fuuka may not sound funny without reading it, but trust me, it’s hilarious. Even better is Jumbo, who is awkward both physically and socially. He and Koiwai have great back-and-forth chemistry, leading to memorable moments such as their pre-badminton battle pose exchange. Jumbo, however, clams up around the two older Ayase girls and manages to do something to weird them out almost every time they’re around. He tries to get Yotsuba to rope Asagi into their activities, which never leads to any success.

It’s Yotsuba who steals the show, though. There is an endless supply of great chapters to choose from, so I’ll start with her visit to the zoo. After seeing lots of animals in a picture book, she is confident that she has a good grasp on nature. When she finally gets a chance to see these animals in real life, she gets freaked out when she sees an owl turn its head around, gleefully gets to feed carrots to goats, and is completely floored by just how big an elephant really is.

Volume three contains what is now one of my all-time favorite manga moments. Koiwai and Jumbo take the girls to a fireworks festival. They dress up in kimonos, eat all sorts of carnival food, and play games like goldfish catching. The real “wow” moment comes when the fireworks finally go off. Having only seen sparklers and the like, Yotsuba has no idea what to expect, and when the first explosion of light goes off, it is such an exciting moment in her life. There is even a two-page spread with Yotsuba in black in white and the fireworks in vibrant color that will make you stop and stare for a minute. You will stare for two main reasons. First, it’s the only bit of color you’ve seen in 200 pages. Then, you’ll remember that while you may still find fireworks to be fun to watch, nothing will ever match up to the first time you really, truly saw them and enjoyed them.

Do you remember how incredible it felt the first time you saw a shooting star? You will feel that, again and again and again, whether Yotsuba is experiencing the freedom of riding a bike, jumping in a rain puddle, or catching fish.

Of course, none of this would be possible to achieve without good artwork. While Azuma doesn’t draw with the flair of many of today’s popular mangaka, his more simplistic approach to backgrounds matches the scope of his story. Instead, Azuma dedicates most of his artistic ability to his characters’ faces. The sheer variety of facial expressions his characters exhibit captures more than words ever could, whether it is a mischievous grin from Asagi or a watery-eyed stare from Yotsuba.

What is (also) truly amazing about Yotsuba&! is how it appeals to a huge age range. Younger readers will find Yotsuba’s adventures to be fun, while adults will be able to laugh at her boundless energy and innocent mistakes.

Yotsuba&! is a priceless piece of manga that will, without fail, make you smile. If you have been patiently waiting since 2007 for the next volume to be released in English, you will not be disappointed. If you have never read a volume of Yotsuba&! before, you need to run to your nearest bookstore on release day and catch up on the best comedy manga you’ve been missing.

Volumes one through six of Yotsuba&! will be available on September 30, 2009.