Translator: Emily Balistrieri
Illustrator: Yuta Onoda
Published by Delacorte Press on July 7, 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Chapter Book
Pages: 193
Format: eBook, ARC
Source: Publisher
Half-witch Kiki never runs from a challenge. So when her thirteenth birthday arrives, she's eager to follow a witch's tradition: choose a new town to call home for one year.
Brimming with confidence, Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places.
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Gist: Kiki’s Delivery Service is a charming coming-of-age story about a witch and her cat, who start their own delivery service. Each chapter is a self-contained story in which the two solve a problem for the people of their new town, Koriko.
Trigger Warnings: View Spoiler »
My Thoughts
Three years ago, Kiki made the decision to follow in her mother’s tradition and live as a witch herself. Now, at the age of thirteen, she must leave her parents’ house and find her own town. She only takes with her a broom, a radio, and her black cat, Jiji.
Set in a world like our own, Kiki’s Delivery Service is a charming coming-of-age story that brings magic to the modern everyday. An everyday where witches are scarce and a genuine witch might only know a magic or two. To preserve their tradition, a witch must leave her parents’ house, when she comes of age, in order to settle in a town that has no witch of its own.
Witches were able to survive … because we forged a give-and-take relationship with normal people. Sometimes we hold back, but we also help each other out however we can.
Kiki is a relatable protagonist. While she’s magical, energetic and excited to forget her own path, she also has insecurities. At times, she loses confidence in herself and needs a nudge from Jiji, a random act of kindness from stranger (Osono), or the offer of friendship from someone her own age (Tombo and Mimi). She’s also young and brash, sometimes jumping ahead without thinking. The story lightly touches upon the experience of disappointing a parent: lacking the patience for medicine-making, Kiki only learns one of her mother’s magics, the magic to fly. Her parents choose to support Kiki’s decision. She makes the most of her talent, and love of flying, to start her own delivery service.
I love the supportive family, both blood-related (her parents) and found (Osono, her friends, and the people of Koriko, the town where Kiki settles). Though Kiki gets annoyed with her mother at times, ultimately, they’re family, and she puts into practice what she learned from her mother. And though Kokiri wishes that Kiki would listen better, she supports Kiki in developing her interests. As Kiki, in turn, uses her magic to help the people of Koriko, the people, many of whom were wary initially of a witch in town, warm up to Kiki and adopt her as one of their own.
Each chapter is a self-contained story. And the stories take place over the course of a year. While Kiki shows growth over the course of the stories, and some contain recurring characters, each may be read on its own. I enjoyed the episodic nature of this book as I could read a single story in one sitting. Reading this book story by story helped me get through a rough finals week. I can see readers enjoying Kiki’s Delivery Service during story time or as a collection of bedtime tales. Each story also features a lovely illustration by Yuta Onoda.
The ending is bittersweet. As Kiki returns to her hometown, for a visit, little details reveal her growth into a young woman who has come into her own. View Spoiler »
I’ve been thinking that witches shouldn’t always rely on their brooms … sometimes it’s good to walk. When you walk, you end up talking to all sorts of different people….
Studio Ghibli fans and new readers alike will delight in the book that inspired the animated film. While the heart is the same, there are enough differences that each feels like its own story. Fans of the film will recognize, in the book, some of Kiki and Jiji’s misadventures, like the time Jiji must pretend to be a stuffed cat, and be enchanted by new ones, like the time Kiki’s curiosity gets the better of her when she delivers a love letter.
Eustacia says
I loved the Ghibli movie, so I think I need to pick up this book!
Crystal says
The Ghibli movie is fantastic! I hope you enjoy the book!