This is a really good story. ( )

Incredible series of graphic novel volumes by Keiko Tobe about a woman who had followed traditions of her culture, the moment she was ready to bear children and had given birth, her child seemed in constant distress and was constantly blamed for the child's cries. She learns to grow along with her newly diagnosed autistic child, and learn together through her parenting trouble and trials, the book is very well written and the amount of emotion pouring out of this book is tremendous. I have laughed, cried, screamed, and blown my cover with anger while sympathizing with this new mother in a world that knows very little about autism. ( )

Sachiko Azuma is a new mother and her first born son Hikaru behaves so oddly. As he develops, it is discovered that he has autism and is nonverbal (mostly). This book follows until he is of kindergarten age or 5 and it is full of twists and turns but always carries the same message, autism can't be helped (unknown cause) and it is not an excuse for rudeness, but an explanation to quiet those who are snide. While I wouldn't suggest this for an in school read, I would offer it in my classroom library for an inside look on autism. This is a special topic for me as I am on the autism spectrum. Many things that Hikaru feels and goes through, even reacts to, I react to - maybe not the same way, but I understand. I even got to see what maybe I could have been like for my mother and father. I give this manga novel 5 stars because it is rather accurate, the hardships parents of children with disabilities go through. How the kids suffer from the most trivial things. This is a very real thing that many people brush under the rug, support just for show, ignore the adults on the spectrum, ignore the facts... so many things. ( )

More engrossing than I'd expected, and more touching. This is a family I'll continue to root for through further volumes. ( )

Keiko Tobe's manga about Masato and Saachiko Azuma and their son, Hikaru, is a well-researched and informative look at a family's dealing with their young son's autism. Although this is a story about a family, it's also an introduction to understanding how differently an autistic person may view the world and how one can deal with communication issues that are bound to arise. What I especially appreciate is that the problems that the family encounter are presented along with various possible solutions and that Hikaru is portrayed as seeing the world differently rather than being handicapped. If you have autistic people in your family or circle of friends (and even if you currently don't), I'd call this is a must-read for its information, for its art, and for its big, big heart. ( )