The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Crystal S. Chan, & Julien Choy

2.75 stars

The Jungle Book is a famous classic about young Mowgli who is raised in the jungle. There is a famous Disney film based off of Kipling’s tale and it has kept this story relevant and one that many kids love watching.

I have never read anything by Kipling and I didn’t know what to expect when it came to this manga adapted version of the tale. I’m a big fan of the Manga Classics series and I highly recommend them because they have made me excited to pick up the original source material. This on the other hand didn’t do that. I was not a huge fan of Kipling’s storyline(s) with Mowgli and while the stories did have cute moments, they were not what I expected. Also Baloo isn't loving at all. He was horrifying. I would give the two Jungle Book, or Mowgli centered stories, 2 stars and 3 stars.


The White Seal is an absolutely adorable tale about a young seal who has a white coat. He discovers one day that humans kill seals and he makes it his mission to find an island away from the monsters, so his fellow seals can live in peace. I really loved this one and it was my favorite in the collection. 4.5 stars


Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a widely popular story about a family who takes in a mongoose and he must protect the family from Nag and Nagiana, two cobras who have made their home in the family’s garden. I absolutely loved this story growing up and it was fun to see a new illustration style to accompany a story that I have not been exposed to since elementary school. 4 stars



Toomai of the Elephants in contrast to the previous two stories falls more along the lines of The Jungle Book for me. It was boring, too short, and enjoyable. It wasn’t horrible though, which is why I am only giving it 2 stars.


Her Majesty’s Servants, on the other hand, was horrendous. The art saved this from being unbearable, but I hated it with a passion. 1 star


Overall, I would recommend this edition purely because Julien Choy’s illustrations are absolutely wonderful and there is such love and detail in every panel. His artwork is magnificent.



Art Scale: 4

Cover Thoughts: I love the cover; it’s fierce.

Thank you, Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I've read most of the other Manga classics, and they were always nice, so even though I had only seen the Disney movie with the same name, I wanted to read this version of the Jungle book.

I had some problems at first to get into the short story collection, probably since I was unaware that the original stories were quite different from the movie, and did not seem to follow in a chronological order. One of the stories even takes place in icy seas so I didn't associate that with jungle either. But once I settled for this I was glad for it. The way some of the original prose was kept in the manga was great.

Also, most importantly, it made me curious towards The Jungle Book, even though I previously read some of Rudyard Kipling's work in a Little Black Classic and was slightly disappointed with it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I liked how this manga presentation of The Jungle Book actually followed the real stories from the original book. I found the artwork beautiful and felt that the artist really brought the characters to life.

When you think of the Jungle Book, you think of the Disney movie. And that's not surprising, but there is more to Rudyard Kipling's book than that, and Manga Classics again does a great job of sharing the classics.

Along with the stories of Mowgli, we also get Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Kotick the White Seal, and Toomai of the Elephants. All are well-told, well-drawn, and interesting. Though I do wish we had a story of a grown-Mowgli, as hinted at in the third of his stories!

I wasn't sure about the translation of this one to a mixed medium like graphic novels, but it works really well. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, in particular, has been a favorite of mine since childhood, and it was great fun to read. Definitely recommend.

Wow, I wasn't aware of the other aspects the story told, as I'm use to the story told in Disney's animated version. Nonetheless, I still very much enjoyed this, as I did with all the other manga classics. I very much recommend this!

This manga adaptation of Kipling's classic will make the book accessible to more reluctant readers or visual learners.

The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling and Chrystal S. Chan, is an illustrated Manga Classic book retelling seven different stories in a complete illustrated format. Six poems are interspersed among the stories, providing a sing-song character feel while helping to clarify the culture being illustrated. The stories target younger readers who enjoy action and adventure. Since this is a Manga book and is read differently than others types of books, a brief but detailed explanation is provided as well.

I found the artwork to be superb, from the human characters to the animals. The detail that accompanied the characters is well drawn and easy to understand. It is obvious the artist has years of art experience, being able to create this type of book with the detail you see. Stories such as The Jungle Book are based on much longer books, and these graphic novels must present the right words (and the right amount) to move the story along to let the reader experience the story to its fullest, and this book certainly did not disappoint.

This book was a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read, and hard to put down. With each new story came a set of exciting new characters, adventures and background history of its people. You see a culture that may contrast sharply with the one you’ve grown up with, and it goes far it describing the various castes in this society. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading Manga comics, especially for those who embrace adventure.

***This book was reviewed for Udon Entertainment

The Manga Classics version of Kipling’s The Jungle Book brought to life beloved childhood stories, and introduced me to a few I was unfamiliar with. There are seven 'books’, three of which centre around Mowgli, the wolf boy, and his rivalry with Shere Khan the tiger.

The remaining four are all independent, stand-alone stories. Kotick follows a young white seal on his adventures searching for a place where his people can be safe from human hunting. Riki Tiki Tavi, my favourite, is the tale of the titular mongoose who is rescued by a human family, and subsequently saves them in turn, when deadly cobras attack. Toomai was new to me. It is the tale of a young elephant keeper who witnessed the elephants’ dance, something no man had done before. Her Majesty’s Servants is another that's new to me. It is about life in a military camp, from the perspective of the animals involved.

In most of the stories that had people, I found the animal art lacking. The humans were typical manga quality, which I love. The exception was Riki Tiki Tavi, but there the main character was Riki, a mongoose, rather than a human. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the (mostly) familiar stories drawn out. At the end, there is an explanation regarding translating the book to manga, stylistic and naming choices, and a neat synchronicity anecdote about Riki Tiki and a kitty-cat.

📚📚📚📚 Recommended for those who enjoy The Jungle Book and for introducing new readers to the material.

I received a copy of Manga Classics: The Jungle Book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Having never read the Jungle Book (but having grown up watching the movie) I was really excited to read the Manga Classics version. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the classic Jungle Book I knew of was really only one of several short stories! After getting over my initial shock, I found myself really enjoying the stories.
Mowgli’s Brothers is the story that most of us have heard (in one version or another). It includes many of the characters we’ve grown up loving; Mother Wolf, Father Wolf, Shere Khan (ok, him we didn’t love so much), Raksha, Baloo, Bagheera, and Akela. Naturally this one was my favorite.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi probably sounds familiar to many, I certainly remember the song, and can’t help but hear the name as a song in my head. It’s the story of a mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi who’s adopted and raised by a British family. During his time with the family (whom he’s charged with protecting from cobras) Rikki has to defend them against two particularly bitter cobras, Nag and Nagaina.
Toomai of the Elephants is the tale of an elephant keeper, Toomai, and one very special elephant, Kala Nag. Toomai has known Kala all his life, and together they have many adventures.
The White Seal is a heartbreaking story about little Kotick. He’s a pure white seal, so naturally he stands out among the rest. Kotick becomes obsessed with finding safety for the rest of the seals, upon learning how humans treat them (killing them).
I’m happy to have read the Manga Classics version of the Jungle Book, because I can honestly say I probably never would have read it otherwise. This is one of the many reasons I love Manga Classics, they make them so much more approachable (and thanks to the artwork, beautiful). Once again I tip my hat to the creators for this one: Crystal S. Chan and Choy (and don’t forget the original author, Rudyard Kipling).

Rudyard Kipling’s classic, The Jungle Book, is presented to a new generation of readers in the new Manga version.

The Jungle Book is actually a collection of stories that includes six books: the three tales with the main character of Mowgli, (Little Frog), “The White Seal,” “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” “Toomai of the Elephants,” and “Her Majesty’s Servants.” Readers will probably know the Jungle Book best from the Disney movie of the same name. However, the Disney version was edited and some characters were changed a bit. In the Manga version, we get the real stories as Kipling originally wrote them. These include the poems that were included after each story in the original version. The writers who adapted this book have included those. Obviously, for purposes of adaptation into a visual format, some story elements were modified to fit that format, but it works quite well.

The first three books are: “Mowgli’s Brothers,” “Kaa’s Hunting,” and “Tiger! Tiger!” These tales follow Mowgli as he grows up from an infant among wolves, to a young man among humankind. The characters of Baloo, the bear, and Bagheera, the black panther accompany him as sort of advisors or tutors. Baloo is drawn as a sloth bear, which is the species native to that area. No one knows for sure what species Kipling intended as his story just called the character a bear. Manga is a visual format, so the characters have to show emotions, and actions have to be inferred by the reader from the drawings. The artists who made this adaptation did a good job conveying the story in this very visual format. The Mowgli stories are already familiar to many readers because they have been adapted many times.

In “The White Seal,” we meet a young seal named Kotick. Kotick sees humans hunting seals and vows to find a place where seals will be safe from human hunters. His long journey to find this place makes up this story. The seals are very attractive and cute. The other characters include manatees, birds, sharks and more. Kotick is a determined and brave seal and his story should appeal to many readers.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a mongoose. This tale is set in India in the 19th century. The antagonist in this story is a snake called Nag, a cobra. Nag and Nagaina, his wife, have a nest of eggs they want to protect. But, they are also a threat to the human family that has taken in the little mongoose. How will the mongoose protect them?

Toomai of the Elephants is the story of a young boy whose father is a mahout, or elephant keeper. It takes place in India, probably around the same time period as the other stories. Toomai gains the respect of the elephants and the other mahouts when he witnesses a rare event.

Her Majesty’s Servants takes place in 19th century India. The story tells of the mules, camels, horses, and other animals used by the military at that times. The animals compare their tasks and talk amongst themselves about their roles.

This book is quite entertaining and was well adapted from the original. The illustrations are top-notch and readers will enjoy the visual format. This book would be perfect for teachers who want to introduce their students to classic literature in a fun way.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

Manga Classics bring to life classics tales for adult and children alike Unlike, the Disney movies of the same name, The Jungle Book contains more stories than just Mowgli's and this manga delves into those.
The Jungle Book contains seven stories (three of which are about Mowgli) about the animals and inhabitants of India based on Rudyard Kipling's experiences there as both a young child and an adult. The collection of stories includes Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, The White Seal and other stories intermingling humans and animals.
I enjoyed this manga as I was inly familiar with two of the Mowgli stories and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. So I enjoyed reading the rest of the stories including the poetry Kipling wrote with each story. I also liked the art except for their idea of a mongoose; it was too cat like for my taste.
This manga is a great way to introduce Kipling to a new generation.

Manga version of the classic tales. A nice antidote to the Disney version as it is true to the original story. Reads from right to left which takes a bit of adjustment.
Illustrations generally good, true to Japanese manga style which can be a little disconcerting given the Indian jungle context.

This is a fun, new, and interesting way to read the classics. I really enjoyed seeing the story laid out in pictures. If you love the classics or even if you have a difficult time getting into them, then I highly recommend giving these a try! They are a lot of fun.

This was a great story but not something that could capture and sustain my attention.

If you loved The Jungle Book growing up you'll really love this manga classic. It separates the stories and goes deeper than the disney movie. It's a real treat and I will be buying copies for my nephews!

I love the Manga Classics line from Udon! And the teens in my library love them as well! The adaptation of the Jungle Book seems to be pretty faithful and though I was unfamiliar with some of the other stories adapted here, they flowed well and the art matched the story perfectly.

This was my first Manga, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of this style of reading. I found the pictures distracting, the different-sized fonts unappealing, and some of the sketches were a bit too dramatic. This might be my last graphic novel, but that’s not to say others wouldn’t enjoy the book.

For one who hasn’t read the original The Jungle Book, I was a bit shocked that a good portion of the book did not focus on Mowgli, but on other animals. I wasn’t a big fan of this, but that was probably because my expectations were set a certain level and I was disappointed.

Overall, there’s really not much to say, except that I wasn’t a fan of this read. However, it was more of the style than anything else, and I feel fans of Manga and/or comic books would enjoy this.

The Jungle Book isn't my favourite book ever, but I like this Manga Classics collection and thought I'd give this one a try, too. This one was quite different from the others I've read, containing seven different "books" - three of which made up The Jungle Book story itself. The other tales were of a white seal trying to save his friends from the murderous men, a mongoose protecting his new family from snakes, a young boy who witnessed the dance of the elephants that no man has ever seen before, and finally a man and the parade of animals serving.

Four of these books I had never heard of before, so they were interesting to read. They all contained little poems like those in The Jungle Book, meaning they all fit together well as a collection. 

The art was different to what I expected; it often took a comedic, exaggerated look. It wasn't the best art I've seen in a novel like this, but it expressed the story well enough. I did, however, notice a few typos throughout the novel.

Not a bad novel, but I can't say I'm overly amazed by it. I'd give 2.5 or maybe 3 stars at a push.

I've never actually read the Jungle Book though I knew a little bit about it. I apparently knew less than I thought I did. The stories were short but interesting. Some were more interesting than others but each was unique. All were about animals and their relationships with humans, good and bad. An interesting addition to the classics series. I can't wait for my nieces and nephews to be slightly older so I can start to get them hooked on the classics with these.

I received a copy of this from the Publisher, through Netgalley.
There isn’t much I can say about the story, seeing as how practically the world (and certainly my negligible readership) would have become acquainted with Mowgli, Bagheera and the rest of the cast of characters through TV shows and multiple movies, not to mention of course the Rudyard Kipling classic.
This is a Manga edition, meaning it needed to be read from back to front, from right to left.
It took a little getting used to, but a few minutes in, the flow felt very natural to me, and I was finaly able to focus on the gorgeous artwork and the poetic dialogue.
Right from the wolves adopting Mowgli to the fiery ending, it is a familiar tale told through an exciting format.
The review copy had low resolution images, so I can only wonder how stunning the final artwork must be.
Now the comics medium is tricky, seeing as how the writer as only a few words per panel to nudge the story along.
In this book, the writer so very cleverly manages to imbue each character with a unique voice.
In a nutshell, a delightful read and highly recommended, even to the most jaded of Jungle Book Fans.