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My Neighbor Totoro

Tsugiko Kubo,

Hayao Miyazaki (Illustrations)

4.33 · Rating details · 1,333 ratings · 202 reviews

One of Studio Ghibli's most beloved classics, Totoro celebrates its 25th anniversary!

The beloved animation classic by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro is now retold in novel form. This prestige, hardcover edition features original illustrations by Miyazaki himself, accompanying a story written by veteran children's book author Tsugiko Kub ...more

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Hardcover, 244 pages

Published October 1st 2013 by VIZ Media LLC (first published January 1st 2013)

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 4.33 ·

Rating details

· 1,333 ratings · 202 reviews

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Dec 25, 2013 Jane rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christmas-2013

Beautiful book. Well written. Gorgeous story. Lovely illustrations. And, despite not normally being a quotey kind of person, I fell in love with this quote:

"The rain kept falling, falling, falling….

The sound of rain was everywhere.

It plopped in the mud and splashed in the puddles, slithered down branches and tinkled from the leaf tips, a symphony of tiny notes playing and fading away endlessly."

Such a delightful book to read

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Jan 18, 2018 Tamsien West (Babbling Books) rated it really liked it

Shelves: women-in-translation, japan, read-the-world, translated, urban-fantasy, middle-grade-and-childrens

Just as sweet and gentle as the movie. The illustrations are a nice touch, though I think without the music and animation the story feels a little flat at times. The relationship between the two sisters was very well done.

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Apr 17, 2018 Widyanto Gunadi rated it it was amazing

My Neighbor Totoro is a movie novelization of the eponymous iconic animated feature film, which stems from the creative imagination of the late master animator, Hayao Miyazaki. It follows the source material, from which it's derived, quite faithfully, albeit a few minor tweaks may be discovered here and there throughout the tale. Although the book was meant for and geared specifically towards young children, some portions of the writings can sometimes be found, to a fixed extent, metaphorical, a ...more

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Apr 21, 2015 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: bought-in-2015, read-in-2015

My second book read today while we're stuck in a storm with no power, woooop! This was sweet as a novelisation of one of my favourite childhood movies but also fantastic as a middle grade novel in its own right. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, so j can't really say how accurate this is as an adaptation, but I really feel like it captured the spirit and magic of the beautiful movie. My favourite line totally deserves a mention: 'The rice plants were so green it almost made you want t ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Sarah Knope rated it really liked it

I just love Totoro.

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Mar 02, 2020 Nina rated it really liked it

Shelves: japanese-literature

Book read #20

Satsuki, Mei and Tatsuo (their father) moved to a country side to get closer to the girls' mother, Yasuko, who'd been in a sanatorium due to an illness for a year. They moved to an old house that had spirits inside.
.
Those three really struggled in their new house. Satsuki learned how to cook traditionally, to keep the house clean and everything in order. Tatsuo had to go to university (he's a professor) very early since it's farther than when they lived in Tokyo.
.
One day, Mei met To Book read #20

Satsuki, Mei and Tatsuo (their father) moved to a country side to get closer to the girls' mother, Yasuko, who'd been in a sanatorium due to an illness for a year. They moved to an old house that had spirits inside.
.
Those three really struggled in their new house. Satsuki learned how to cook traditionally, to keep the house clean and everything in order. Tatsuo had to go to university (he's a professor) very early since it's farther than when they lived in Tokyo.
.
One day, Mei met Totoro.
.
The parts where the girls went to the bus stop to pick up Tatsuo and Mei went to Satsuki's school wrenched my heart 💔💔💔

Setelah membaca Totoro, saya jd pengen nonton animasinya. Untungnya buku ini ada ilustrasinya shg saya tidak kesulitan membayangkan sebesar apa Totoro, cat-bus yg sesuai namanya, bus ajaib berbentuk kucing dan kucingnya hidup. Dibandingkan fantasinya, porsi slice of life-nya lebih besar.
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Kesan saya malah tercurah lebih besar pada kesedihan dan perjuangan keluarga Kusakabe tanpa sang ibu yg sudah dirawat di RS selama setahun. Satsuki, Mei dan Tatsuo pindah ke desa Matsugo, lebih dekat dg RS sang ibu. Suatu hari ibu akan diperbolehkan pulang selama bbrp hari. Satsuki dan Mei bersemangat sekali, tapi sayang, menjelang hari yg dinantikan, malah ada telegram dari RS untuk sang ayah. Satsuki kecewa, sedih dan takut sesuatu yg terburuk menimpa ibu mereka. Setelah dia melampiaskan ketakutannya pada Mei dan Nenek, Mei malah hilang.
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#Totoro bersetting tahun 1950-an, ketika teknologi jelas tidak seperti sekarang. Kesan jadulnya terasa sekali, jadi suka dan asyik membacanya. Ada ilustrasi desa Matsugo, bus stop, rumah tua Satsuki. I think, Totoro kurang dapat porsi 😅 makanya jd pengen nonton animasinya. Yah, buku dan adaptasinya bisa saling melengkapi. Dan saya msh blm bisa menginterpretasikan dg tepat, apakah Totoro dll menyimbolkan harapan, ketakutan, atau apa. Yg jelas dia muncul ketika Satsuki dan Mei sedih, kesepian atau putus asa.
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Makasih banyak Mbak Rumi @mybookshelf111 yg sudah meminjamkan buku ini. Tinggal Mrs Frisby yg blm kubaca, semoga lekas selesai 😄
...more

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Sep 06, 2020 Dessa Mae rated it really liked it

Adorable and fun to read.
There were some differences with the movie, but this book offered more info about the characters, which I really liked. I just wish Totoro was more present. The scene on the cover was not even in the book!

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Sep 30, 2018 Chris Greensmith rated it liked it

"You're such a baby! Just grow up!" If you have seen the film then you have read the book. I have this an extra star because of the actual book itself, a lovely hardback, great illustrations, and compact. If you have kids or like kids then this would be a good story to read them, but as I say pretty much the film...3 🌟

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Jun 29, 2017 Karen Mace rated it it was amazing

One of my favourite films by Studio Ghibli so of course I'm going to love the book version! A beautiful book inside and out!

A simple but magical story of the bond between a family and enjoying the simple things in life - helped by giant fluffy creatures who like umbrellas!

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Aug 27, 2019 Mikayla rated it really liked it

Let me preface this by saying that My Neighbor Totoro is definitely a children's book. However, I think every adult should read it. The story has been a favorite of mine since I was very young. I remember watching Fox's dubbed-version over and over, loving the every day place magic seemed to find in the plot. This novel is a little different than the story I grew up with, but it is no less extraordinary. It asks the adult reader to remember what life was like as a child, when we looked at the wo ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Stephanie rated it liked it

3,5 stars. What an adorable read :) I really enjoyed it but I wish there had been more of Totoro in it. I will admit to never having watched this film - definitely feel like watching it now

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Nov 15, 2013 S.Q. Eries rated it really liked it

Shelves: light-novel

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In Summary

While it doesn’t follow the film exactly, My Neighbor Totoro: the Novel is a delightful companion piece to the movie. It gives readers additional details on the characters and setting and provides a glimpse into Satsuki’s thoughts as events unfold. Although it was originally written for young readers, fans of all ages can enjoy rediscovering Totoro’s forest from a new perspective.

The Review

This book is beautifully produced. The canvas textured cover and Miyazaki’s watercolor sketch ill In Summary

While it doesn’t follow the film exactly, My Neighbor Totoro: the Novel is a delightful companion piece to the movie. It gives readers additional details on the characters and setting and provides a glimpse into Satsuki’s thoughts as events unfold. Although it was originally written for young readers, fans of all ages can enjoy rediscovering Totoro’s forest from a new perspective.

The Review

This book is beautifully produced. The canvas textured cover and Miyazaki’s watercolor sketch illustrations give it the feel of a classic, which it is, actually. Though Viz Media has only recently released the English translation, the original Japanese novel was published in 1988. A whimsical acorn design decorates the inside of the cover, and the book includes a handy color map of Matsugo Village, where the story takes place.

It’s called My Neighbor Totoro: the Novel, but it’s closer to My Neighbor Totoro, the Chapter Book. The story follows 11-year-old Satsuki for the most part and was clearly intended for readers her age. Still, though the plot and descriptions are written for a younger audience, aspects of the book may pose a challenge for English-speaking readers. Part of it is because of the Japanese names. For instance, the name of hospital where the girls’ mother is being treated, Shichikokuyama, may seem daunting and unpronounceable to a Western child. The other part is the various cultural references of 1950s rural Japan, where breakfast consists of rice and miso soup, people pay homage to various nature spirits, and, yes, families bathe together.

The book contains the same general arc as the Totoro movie. Two sisters and their father move to the countryside to be closer to the girls’ mother, who is hospitalized with tuberculosis. As they settle into their new home, a long-vacant and rumored to be haunted house, they encounter a number of magical creatures, including Totoro, the ruler of the forest. The major plot points are the same, but Kubo-sensei, who wrote the novel adaption, does change a few details, including the cat bus’ role when Mei goes missing. She also adds a few scenes that weren’t part of the movie, including a ten day trip to visit relatives in Tokyo. Interestingly, the famous scene of Totoro and the girls playing ocarinas in the camphor tree on the front cover never actually takes place in the book.

Charming as the Totoro movie is, it moves pretty slowly, and the novel moves even slower. While the totoros are mysterious and magical, most of the pages are taken up by descriptions of the mundane: landscapes, plants, chores, school. However, because these things are seen through the eyes of a girl new to the country, who’s struggling to keep house in a place without the conveniences she’s used to and take care of her younger sister on top of that, the narration is engaging despite its pace.

The book paints Satsuki as a very likable character–brave, responsible, and positive. Mei, on the other hand, comes across as a troublesome, difficult sibling while their father is loving but unreliable, a kind of absent-minded professor. So the ones Satsuki depends on are her neighbors, Granny Ogaki and Kanta. A few times, the story briefly shifts to Kanta’s perspective, which is pretty interesting considering his fleeting appearances in the film, and readers get a better grasp of his crush on Satsuki that’s only hinted at in the movie.

As mentioned earlier, the story largely follows Satsuki’s perspective. What that means is our first introduction to Totoro is a secondhand account through Mei, and considering she’s only got a 4-year-old’s grasp of language, it’s pretty confusing. Totoro doesn’t actually appear in the flesh until the bus stop scene, and the other totoros, of which Kubo-sensei provides hardly any description, don’t get much mention at all. Also, the book includes no illustration of the medium-size totoro so readers unfamiliar with the film wouldn’t have any idea what it looks like. As such, even though My Neighbor Totoro can be read on its own, it functions better as a companion piece to the film.

For more book and manga reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon! ...more

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Dec 15, 2014 Lia Ung rated it liked it

Recommends it for: people who haven't seen the movie

Shelves: 2015

When I first saw this book I was very OHMYGOD-JUMP-UP-AND-DOWN-TOTOROOOO. I still felt that way when I started reading, both because I love the My Neighbour Totoro movie, but also because the book itself is really beautiful and kinda magical with pictures in it and on the cover. So I was really looking forward to reading it but it soon became clear that the book is not really like the movie.

This is a movie-to-book adaptation, which I have never read before. In most cases when a book become movie ...more

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May 09, 2019 Fi's Journey rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, children-middle-grade

My Neighbour Totoro is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli films, so when I saw it at Waterstones in book format (which I didn't know existed!) I instantly had to pick it up. It would be fun to re-watch the film afterwards to see the differences.

My favourite scenes from the film are not in here! How disappointing! That's why I give it only 3.5 stars as I still liked the story for what is was.

I think the translation wasn't always on point. Some sentences were weird to read.

One major thing I n ...more

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Jun 06, 2016 Zoe rated it it was amazing

My Neighbor Totoro by Tsugiko Kubo is a great book based on the movie My Neighbor Totoro. Sisters Satsuki and Mei are moving from Tokyo to Matsugo, a small town in the Japanese country side. Their mother has been sick with tuberculosis and the hospital she needs to stay at is closer to Matsugo than Tokyo. They move into a western styled house and have heard that it is haunted. The sisters soon meet a forest spirit called Totoro and when Mei goes missing Satsuki needs the help of her magical frie ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Ajay rated it really liked it

Shelves: translations

As sweet and enthralling as the film it is based on, you can't read this delightful book without a big smile on your face.

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May 08, 2018 Charlotte Holmans rated it it was amazing

I love this book so much! A wonderful story!

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Nov 03, 2018 LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2018, acquired-library, format-print, fantasy, japanese-novels, 4-star, historical

Mei, Satsuki, and their father, Tatsuo, move into a crumbling old house in the country in order to be closer to the sanatorium where their mother, Yasuko, is recovering from tuberculosis. The girls adapt to their new rural life pretty quickly, although four-year-old Mei doesn't respond well to being left with their neighbor while Tatsuo is at work and Satsuki is at school.

Both girls realize there's something a little strange about their house when they first arrive. They briefly spot little be Mei, Satsuki, and their father, Tatsuo, move into a crumbling old house in the country in order to be closer to the sanatorium where their mother, Yasuko, is recovering from tuberculosis. The girls adapt to their new rural life pretty quickly, although four-year-old Mei doesn't respond well to being left with their neighbor while Tatsuo is at work and Satsuki is at school.

Both girls realize there's something a little strange about their house when they first arrive. They briefly spot little beings called soot sprites, and Kanta, the boy who lives near them, tells them that their house is haunted. Then Mei starts talking about having met a being she calls Totoro and who Tatsuo believes is a forest spirit. Satsuki longs to see Totoro too.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I read this. Would it be a stiff and soulless adaptation of the movie, or would it be able to hold its own in the face of the movie's sweetness? I'm happy to say that it fell into the latter category. Although I still prefer the movie, the book was a breeze to read, added things to the overall story that the movie couldn't, and had much of the same charm as the original movie.

(I should briefly explain that I'm most familiar with the English dub of the movie. I'm not sure if I've even watched it in Japanese with English subtitles yet. Some of the information "missing" from the movie could possibly have been translation decisions when creating the dub, editing the script to better match mouth flaps. I won't know until I watch the movie with subtitles, and even then translator decisions are in play.)

The book was more direct about explaining exactly why Tatsuo, Satsuki, and Mei moved out into the country, explicitly naming Yasuko's illness. There were more mentions about what Satsuki and Mei's life used to be like, back in the city, and even one portion of the book where they briefly went back to the city. Yasuko was slightly more in the foreground - the book included letters she wrote to her children while at the sanatorium. I got a stronger picture of her personality here than I did in the movie. She seemed like a dreamer.

In general, I'd say that the bones of this book were about the same as the movie. A few scenes were added, and there were more details about the history of the house the family moved into, and Satsuki's efforts to learn how to cook different foods over an actual fire without burning them. I really enjoyed these additions.

One thing that disappointed me a little, however, was that the fantasy aspects were scaled back. In the movie, viewers' first exposure to Totoro happened when Mei chased after a little Totoro and ended up finding Totoro's napping spot. All of this happened on-screen. These same things happened in this book as well, but for some reason the author chose to focus on Satsuki instead of Mei. Mei told Satsuki and her father what she'd experienced, but there was no evidence that any of it was real, rather than the dreams or imaginings of a child. The first on-page appearance of Totoro didn't happen until the bus scene. The ending was also altered slightly - the scene where Mei and Satsuki watched their mother and father from a tree didn't happen. I was at least glad that all the Catbus scenes were included.

The focus of this book seemed to be slightly more on the relationship between the two sisters and their barely-spoken-of fear that their mother might die and never come home, as well as the girls' growing independence as they adapted to rural life. It was lovely, but, as I said, I did miss some of the Totoro stuff. All in all, this was an excellent novelization that I'd definitely recommend to fans of the movie.

Extras:

Several illustrations (black and white sketches with maybe a watercolor wash?), including a color map of Matsugo, the place where the Kusakabe family moved. The map also gives the exact year this story took place, 1955, so I suppose this could be considered historical fiction.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Beth Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned-books, five-stars-and-more, incredible-world, guilty-pleasure

I can't even begin to tell you how lovely this book was. I found it so comforting! I started watching Studio Ghibli movies a few years ago, and they really hold a special place in my heart. I've come to love the franchise, and when I saw this book I knew I'd want to pick it up. I wasn't wrong in adding it to my TBR, I got through it in just a day and I adored it!

"The rain kept falling, falling, falling…."

If you're a fan of the movie like I am, this book is definitely worth the read. Told mostly ...more

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Dec 07, 2017 Tatiana Dengo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mighty-girls, best-of-read-in-2016, cried

This book is the cutest thing ever and reading it is like a warm hug, or a cozy summer afternoon. The author uses a tender, descriptive language that is quite successful at bringing the beauty of the movie to mind, to the point that you don't even miss the movie and you don't even want to say one is better than the other. They compliment each other beautifully. If you liked the movie, you'll like this too. If you haven't watched the movie, I'd still recommend you watch it first, because this isn ...more

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Feb 19, 2020 lucy black rated it it was amazing

Shelves: love, favourites, kids-fiction

My little beasty and I thoroughly enjoyed this novelisation of My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki and Tsugiko Kubo. It’s such a great story and Kubo really fills it out into a well rounded, meditative classic. It’s a beautiful object and Our family treasures it. I’d highly recommend you read it aloud to someone you love.

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Jul 15, 2018 Amanda at Nerdification Reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens

Great for fans of the movie, but definitely aimed at a young reader. Not as descriptive & magical as I had hoped as a result. ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 Freya rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, own, children-s-books, film-novelisation

Review to come :)

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Mar 28, 2020 Rebecca rated it really liked it

I mean, it's just so gosh darn adorable!

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May 15, 2020 Mashed Potato rated it really liked it

Shelves: azn

read as part of the 2020 Asian readathon!

fluffy and warm. a perfect book to get me through this pandemic.

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Feb 20, 2020 Krystal Caracol rated it really liked it

My 9yo daughter read this to me, it was cute and mystical, but the movie version has more magical vibes :)

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May 13, 2020 Megan added it

Shelves: favorites, studio-ghibli

I don't even know where to begin. This book is perfect. It so wonderfully captures the spirit of Miyazaki's beloved film, but it also stands very well on its own. It is every bit whimsical, magical, dreamlike, and spooky in the cutest possible ways. I'm going to watch the movie again tomorrow, now that I have had this expanded experience from reading the novel. I adore this book and will read it many more times in the future. I wish I had read it sooner.

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Apr 18, 2020 Sara rated it really liked it

Such a nice addition to the movie! Got me super excited to rewatch 😍 and the added artworks have something so soft

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Jul 07, 2019 Meekachii rated it liked it

This is a cute middle grade novel. It was very close to the movie and gave some insight to a few things that I wish were better explained in the movie. However, I feel some of the magical elements were lost in text that the movie brings out. I’d definitely say I like the movie better.

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May 16, 2016 Bruce Gargoyle rated it really liked it

Shelves: diverting-pasttimes, middle-grade, extraordinary-powers, family-dramas, friendship, adventure, favourites, kid-lit, old-folks, bizarre

Ten Second Synopsis:
Satsuki and Mei move to a "haunted house" in the country to be closer to their mother, who is residing in the hospital with an illness. After Mei discovers a forest guardian spirit named Totoro, in the nearby woods, Satsuki is desperate to meet him as well.

Not having seen the film, I can't say whether or not this is a faithful retelling of the film, but on its own it is a delightful story about two sisters and their move to a new, rural village. As I was reading I was reminde ...more

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