Chi's Sweet Home 01: 10/29/12

Chi's Sweet Home 01 by Kanata Konami is about a little kitten and the family who adopts her when she is separated from her mother and siblings. I read the book because we recently took in a stray kitten and I was looking for something different to read.

I normally shy away from stories told from the point of view of an animal because most authors can't pull it off. Konami is a rare exception. This mangaka gets cats both in terms of personality and in body language.

Although the artwork is amazingly cute it's also spot on. Anyone who has cared for a tiny kitten and watched it grow into cathood will recognize Chi's unstoppable enthusiasm.

The book isn't entirely about Chi, though. It's also about the human family who takes her in — a young couple and their potty training toddler. It's the toddler's misspeaking of the Japanese for pee that ends up giving the kitten her name. Just as Harriet ended being the one who instinctively knew how to pan train Tortuga, so does this toddler.

To add drama to the series, Chi is taken in by a family who isn't allowed to have cats. Of course there's rumor of a giant black cat also living in the building. But they are still wary of having Chi in their home. At one point, when Chi discovers the front window, they try to disguise her by filling the window sill with cute stuffed animals!

I recommend this series to anyone who has cats. My entire family: daughter, son, husband and I are all laughing our way through the manga series.

Volume 09 is currently nominated for a CYBILS in the middle grade graphic novel category.

Recommended by All About Manga

Five stars

Comments (2)

Comment #1: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 03:56:55

Kyle Stephen

The cover looks cute!

I am fond of taking care of cats. They're just so adorable.

Comment #2: Monday, November 05, 2012 at 17:33:35

Pussreboots

If you're looking for a cat themed comic book series, it's a cute one.