Manga Classics The Jungle Book: 8 (Manga Classics: Paperback) Paperback – Illustrated, 21 Jan. 2020

A great reading and a beautiful manga version to look at!The Jungle Book is a collection of stories about Mowgli, the boy raised by animals in the Indian jungle and the stories of several animals in their own unique adventures.I’ve read the original stories many years ago and it was refreshing to go through them again in such a light way. The drawings are magical and the original stories didn’t lose any of their charms or sense. Being a fan of the Disney version of the novel, I could almost hear the songs in my head as the respective characters came to play, such as Mowgli and the elephants.On the contrary of the other manga classics published so far, this graphic novel can also be read to children. The language is easy to understand and the illustrations are very appealing and pleasant to look at.​This review was originally published on NetGalley.

Not such a fan of this manga classic as I have been of the others I've read. I think they tried to fit too much in. There are seven parts adapted into the 327 pages and some are given more focus than others. I like my manga and I wasn't that impressed by the art style in this, I think it's a personal thing but I found it far too simplistic but again this could be from trying to cram too much into one graphic novel.Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

* * * *4 / 5I picked up a copy of the The Jungle Book, manga edition on a whim and I was very pleasantly pleased with it. I have read my fair share of manga in my youth and this book follows the traditional format of being read right to left (a handy guide at the back for those that have never read a manga), as well as having loving, classically manga illustrations. As far as I can tell, The Jungle Book follows Rudyard Kipling's original seven stories very closely, even integrating some of the shorter poems into the artwork.Whilst I am familiar with the stories that make up the typical Jungle Book films, those of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera and Shere Khan, I did not know that the original Jungle Book also included four further stories: The White Seal, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Toomai of the Elephants, and Her Majesty's Servants. My favourite of these was Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a story about a mongoose defending a human family from a pair of snakes. So as well as being visually lovely, I also got culturally exposed to something I wasn't previously aware of. Bonus!The artwork, on the whole, is lovely. Most of the animals, particularly Shere Khan and the seals, looked fantastic. Others, like Bagheera and the wolves looked a little weird and too cartoony compared to others, like the monkeys, which is why I am knocking off a star. The humans are classic manga style - pointy chins and big eyes - which can be a plus or not depending on your personal preference. The book also felt a bit long, but this is the price of faithfully following the original stories! I have no complaints about the pacing or the storylines - as far as I am aware they are good representations of Kipling's writings.On the whole, a good collection for those that have read the original works and want to experience them in a new form, or for those who have no experience of The Jungle Book. I can certainly see children enjoying this profusely.