One Piece

Gr 7 Up—This book is ideal for die-hard fans of the "One Piece" manga and anime series about a group of treasure-seeking pirates. It is twice as tall as a typical manga volume and contains artwork from issues of the "One Piece" series that were originally published in Japan from 1999-2001. The book features very little text, which is included in pages or panels taken out of context from their original stories. Unfortunately, readers who are not familiar with the original series will find it bewildering. They will wonder why all of the characters on the front cover are brushing their teeth and, more importantly, why one of them is using a fish. The artwork is surreal and bursting with color. Most of it features lots of action (smiling, snarling, gesturing, punching, kicking, leaping, smoking). The book also contains bonus material like pencil sketches, a foldout world map, a removable postcard, and an author interview. "One Piece" has been serialized in Shonen Jump magazine since 1997, and is one of the most popular manga series in the world. So if you already have a core group of fans of the original series, this would be a good supplemental purchase.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library