specificbookrecs

[specificbookrecs]

books like Ponyo

in Ponyo, a goldfish-turn-human girl (Ponyo) gets to know the human world through her friendship with a human boy (Sosuke). their unlikely friendship makes them go on adventures, before Ponyo is forced to return to her father’s underwater world. but the love for the human world and for Sosuke may prove to be stronger. the recommendations are mostly similar as they are all about children of a different background finding their new family.

Eric, Shaun Tan

fantasy, illustrated, 48 pages

the life of a regular family is changed by the arrival of Eric, a foreign exchange student. a lighthearted yet very metaphorical little book about cultural differences, and the joys therein. beautiful illustrations.

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman

fantasy, middle grade, 288 pages

when Nobody’s family is murdered, he is raised by the ghosts in a nearby graveyard. when the murderer finds out Nobody is still alive, he’s in trouble. though the ghosts are different from him, they become his family, and eventually, he connects to live humans too. a bit dark and delightfully strange.

Mio My Son, Astrid Lindgren

fantasy, classics, children’s, 178 pages

Karl is living an unhappy life as an unwanted foster child when he is called to Fantasyland, where he learns his real name, Mio, and that he is the king’s son. he befriends the boy Pompoo, and the two travel together on the horse Miramis to defeat the knight Kato, who has a heart of stone.

The Doubtful Guest, Edward Gorey

fantasy, art, 32 pages

if you have never read something by Gorey, you’re in for a treat. in this beautifully illustrated little comic, an unwelcome, silent guest comes to stay with a stern victorian family, who despite their confusion, never ask the guest to leave. not heartwarming as Ponyo is, but fantastically strange, funny, and even cute.

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