The story is about a little girl named Tutu who gets lost during blizzard. She finds herself in a strange city, full of animals which have the ability to talk. She is taken by secret police ( rabbits ) and finds guilty for being a little girl.

As I saw in other reviews, it reminded me Ghibli movies. I'm curious whether the author got inspired from them, especially Spirited Away. The illustrations of the book are beautiful. The rest was okay. I didn't like much, In some parts of the story, I couldn't follow because there was not enough information. I know it is just volume one but we could have got some details about Tutu. The characters were interesting some time but that Panda was just disturbed my reading. In short, I was not highly satisfied.

I couldn't always tell what was going on in this book, but I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. A little girl gets separated from her classmates in a snowstorm and ends up in a strange town populated by animals who find her presence disgusting. Sentenced to manual labor in a hamster-powered factory, she finds herself becoming the focus of many factions in the animal society who want something from her, but their motives are unclear. Whom can she trust? With art that could have been pulled from Ghibli story boards, Dream of the Butterfly has a seriousness of tone punctuated with moments of levity. I would recommend it for readers who enjoy Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series or Miyazaki's Spirited Away.

Are you the sort of person who adores the films produced by Studio Ghibli? If so, this book may be perfect for you. Its beautifully atmospheric. Its also deeply strange.

Absolutely enjoyed reading this.
Good:

Comic is enjoyable to look at. The story starts in the beginning of a dream or at least looks like one of her dreams.


Story line is interesting enough to keep you going. She's a human little girl in a town full of talking animals all of which for some reason don't like humans. Instead of trying to get her home and out of their hair they send her to a temporary living arrangement and has to work in a factory.


She gains the interest of the Emperor, the Flying Bandit, a group of human children, and a Panda Bear that she works with. They all need her or believe that she will help them with something. She doesn't understand why they're bothering her and how no one's helping her get home.


Tutu sounds and acts like a child her age and in a situation that she is in. She gets snippy, lashes out, is tired and doesn't want to do anything they keep asking her to do.


The spies are adorable.



Bad:

In some places it feels as if you've skipped a page and have to flip back to double-check. It feels like you're missing something to the story but it keeps moving on.


The townsfolk keep warning her about saying the things she keeps saying but she keeps saying things. The reason? There doesn't seem to be any actual consequence for talking against or negatively about the emperor -- or at least FOR HER -- than maybe the other residents of the town. Or is it just fear that there isn't anything else preventing them from saying things other than fear?


Does she ever eat??? I know this isn't high on a list but the bird sends her to work with a container of worms. She gives them to the Panda.



Recommend?

Yes. It's enjoyable and a fun read. It's a children's novel and possibly more for older elementary level. For kids who may struggle with reading or following along with the plot line definitely enjoy the pictures and the story through the artwork.

This reminds me very, very much of Spirited Away with a sprinkle of Alice and Wonderland. It is not just the lovely illustrations, but also the story itself. For many, whether to read this can be answered by a simple question: are you a Studio Ghibli fan? If so, you really should give this novel a chance. I already cannot wait for the next volume!

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I didn't want this to end! I wanted to keep reading it for as long as I could. Since this appears to be more aimed at children, I was expecting a simple story line. This is not the case with this particular story. I was drawn in from the start by not only the story line but the wonderful illustrating that moves the story along and gives the reader a sense of being in the story. This is not a picture-book type outline like you have with childrens books. This is laid out like a graphic novel (or comic book) but it is much longer and a lot more detailed. The illustrations are, for me, what really helped bring everything I was reading to life. Similar to an "Alice in Wonderland" idea, a young girl goes out and soon finds herself in a world she didn't know existed with some insane rules. She is accused of being one of the worst things possible (a little girl) and is sent to live with a foster mother. The police force (white rabbits) are sent to follow her and end of driving her completely mad because they aren't very good at being discrete. As the story line moves along, the girl is wondering if she will ever get to go back to the place she knows as home. She also meets other children that have to hide all the time. When the emperor (and every one else she meets) ask her for one thing, she doesn't know why and doesn't really want to. But, if it means being able to finally go home, she may just do what they ask. I honestly cannot wait to continue this story. It does end on a cliff hanger however, that isn't a big deal. You get enough of the story to satisfy a small part but it leaves enough wonder that you want nothing more than to keep going. The ending felt like a natural place to take a break, which is something I personal enjoy rather than seeing an abrupt stop.

A captivating steampunk comic with well-rounded elements of mystery, intrigue, and suspense. The story has an Eastern setting (China, from the looks of it) -- which, from the get-go lends an exotic charm to the story. The illustrations are very detailed and create an exquisite setting for the plot.

I enjoyed this read because it does not feature costumed superheroes. On the contrary, the protagonist is a young girl -- a reluctant heroine, who finds herself stranded in a land of snow and ice. It is a coming-of-age story about finding one's wings, while learning to break free of the confines and constraints of a seemingly perpetual winter.

Tutu is a little girl who gets lost during a snow storm. She ends up in a town full of talking animals and she is not welcomed.

I hereby declare...that you are guilty of being a little girl.’

Tutu is forced to work in the factories, is followed by the secret police (made up of rabbits of course) and the emperor, who only appears to her in the form of a robot, wants a favor from her. The town is in an eternal winter and Tutu just wants to go home.

The artwork is beautiful. The story feels like Studio Ghibli...specifically ‘Spirited Away’

It is a great graphic novel for fans of Ghibli and would be great for a young audience. Overall it was a fun read.

Little Tutu is lost in a snowstorm and travels to a magical land where animals talk and humans aren't welcome. She is forced to work in a factory, and befriends several groups that need her help to rebel against the emperor. But Tutu is just trying to find her way back home, and the emperor asks her bring him a rare spring butterfly with mysterious powers.

I liked the imaginative characters and setting, but the plot is jumping all over the place and there's not really enough time spent on any one scene to give depth to the characters. Several things are left unexplained in the middle of the volume, and maybe they will be explained in later books, but it just left me confused with too many questions.

The issue of manners and courtesy is brought up several times, and I found it annoying that Tutu will accuse others of being rude to her (which they are), even though she herself is being rude. She gets all offended when someone insults her, but she insulted them too! Everyone is offended all the live-long day, all the while talking obnoxiously about how important it is to be courteous.

Tutu is a poorly-constructed character, because she will pour out her heart to some random cat or frog or panda in one scene, and be very wary and careful around some other character in the next scene. So in one scene she is trusting and open, and the very next minute she's cautious and reluctant to trust anyone. Her character flip-flopped all over the place.

The artwork is lovely, with beautiful colors. The story just needed better structure, and the characters needed more definition.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

This graphic novel had wonderful art and lots of whimsy, but it's not one that will stick with you - definitely a library read rather than a purchase. The concept of a human girl mysteriously arriving in a world populated by animal and fantastical figures was strongly reminiscent of Spirited Away and Alice in Wonderland, though it didn't match up to either of them in terms of quality. The bumbling rabbit secret police were quite entertaining, and reminded me of something akin to the Sheriff's secret police in Welcome to Nightvale. The story doesn't progress far enough in this first volume to feel satisfying, but there were some interesting concepts introduced, especially the notion of a society stuck using backwards, inefficient technologies (hamster wheel power plant) solely because it was the emperor's idea. I might read Vol. 2 if I stumbled upon it, but it's not something I'll be seeking out intentionally.

The gorgeous illustrations drew me to this graphic novel and the reference to the Chinese parable ‘The Dream of the Butterfly’ sealed the deal, I had to read this book. The graphic novel plays with reality and never really lets the reader know what is real and what is not, I can see this being problematic for a lot of readers, but it’s important to remember that this is a middle grade book and a vague plot can spark a youngster’s imagination, draw them in, and invest them further in the story (at least for me when I was young). The character design is outstanding and the environments are beautifully imagined and rendered, this graphic novel is worth reading just for the lovely illustrations. My greatest problem with the book is that it moves so very quickly, there isn’t a lot of time for moments of deep character exploration or examination. I wish more was revealed about Tutu before she was lost in the snowstorm, something that would solidify what she wants to return to. I’m definitely going to check out future installments in this series and will recommend this to young graphic novel enthusiasts, especially fans of the Amulet series.

This graphic novel has the feel of a Studio Ghibli film. There is wonder and beautiful artwork. The story is a familiar one. A young girl accidentally finds her way into a strange world where she doesn't belong. There are themes of growing up and not fitting in. The style of this story is in the vein of Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Narnia, or Labyrinth.



The character design is wonderful. Every background character has been fully imagined in this strange world of eternal winter. The colors accurately reflect the feel of the different environments.



Although this is a beautiful comic, I felt it didn't have enough heart in the story. I wasn't exactly sure what what happening for most of the story, but that may be intentional. I think if this had been an animated film with a lush score and the same art style, it may have caught my attention more and delivered for me emotionally. I also wasn't a fan of the cliffhanger ending. I was hoping for a more completed story.



I give this comic a 3/5. The artwork is excellent, but the story just didn't pull me in.

This was a cute and fun read. The animation is very cartoon like. This is a very kid friendly story.
Not a lot I can say about the book - it was enjoyable. I wish it was longer. If you like japanese cartoons, you should like this book. It has a miyazaki feel to it.

Well, the artwork is beautiful....
And that's kind of it.

This is trying SO hard to be "Spirited Away," but it's just really, REALLY not. None of the characters (except maybe the Panda!) are likable or relatable. You can't root for a heroine who is just whiny, annoying and rude. I found myself thinking "oh just freeze to death already, no one cares!" more than once.
The rabbits are kind of silly and alright I guess.... but their involvement it really just goofy most of the time, and the story seems to be all over the place without really ever going anywhere.
Definitely not my cup of tea.

Studio Ghibli and del Toro meet in a tale of a young girl, lost in a storm away from what looks like an orphanage, and stranded in a horrid valley town populated by dodgy animal characters (a bunch of rabbit secret police, a bird for a landlady,. etc) and peculiar-headed contraptions and other characters. It looks fine for a young audience (and not bad for an adult one either) but it doesn't offer much that is new, and in this introductory episode promises a lot but delivers little. I might be persuaded to come back for more, but I'd want a lot more story and something actually fresh and interesting for my time.

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

Richard Marazano is a French writer and illustrator, and in this work he seems to have channeled Chinese mythology very heavily into a very lighthearted story about young girl who strays in a snowstorm from her valley to a nearby one in which is a village occupied by animals who seem very resentful of humans Actually, given how we treat animals I for one am not at all surprised by their attitude.

The girl is a very strong female character and I recommend this story for that to begin with, but it's much more than that. The story is very whimsical, and quirky even, I tend to run in the opposite direction when I read of a story being described as full of whimsy or with quirky characters, but this one nailed it perfectly.

The girl seems resigned to living in this town because no one will help her get back. She's boarded with a foster family of birds, and finds a job working in an energy factory - she has to change out the hamsters in their wheels when they become tired - but her lunches of packed worms, she could do without. She eventually learns she's not the only human child in town.

Because she is a human, Tutu is spied upon by the emperor through his rabbit secret service. The rabbits are adorably inept, but they are also actually helpful to Tutu when she gets lost or doesn't know which bus to catch. Known as yuè tù (moon rabbit) in China, the idea behind these is that while the Moon may look to us westerners like it's the face of a man in the Moon, many other cultures see it as a rabbit in the Moon, which is more intriguing to me.

If you look hard, you can see the long ears (Mare Foecunditatis and Mare Nectaris)stretching to the right, about half way down the Moon's right side, from the head (Mare Tranquilitatis where Apollo Eleven landed) to the left, and the body (Mare Serenitatis and Mare Imbrium below it on the left edge of the Moon's disk. Below that is the Oceanis Procellarum with the big back legs and a tail sticking out to the left. The rabbit appears to be sitting by a box or a bowl, (Mare Nubium), and some cultures see this as a mortar, in which the rabbit is grinding something using a pestle.

The emperor takes a great interest in Tutu and wants her to help him by catching a rare white butterfly, but she's not very impressed with him or the opera he writes. She's especially disrespectful of his surrogate robots which tend to break down when faced with Tutu's sarcasm.

This story was a delight through-and-through, and my only complaint was that this is volume one, so the story didn't end! Although that's really a good thing because if it had ended, there would be no more to look forward to! As it was, I could have kept on reading this for many more pages than there were, and I recommend it as a worthy read.

The illustrations were really well done and it followed the story line. I enjoyed reading this. It was easy to follow and I look forward to continuing this series.

Well, 3.5 would be a more accurate rating and by all means, Dream of the Butterfly is surely interesting! It tells the story of a young girl named Tutu, who gets lost in the snow and ends up in a village of an eternal winter inhabited by talking animals. The emperor of the village talks through weird and worn robots and everyone has to work in order to create electricity and warmth for the village. The emperor's rabbits are the secret police and everyone wants Tutu to find the magic butterflies for reasons unknown. The plot is so exciting and well formed so that we don't really know why everything is happening and whether we can trust the characters that say fight for good. There's this creepy and suffocating feeling to the comic even though it looks like eye-candy. Dream of the Butterfly surely reminds me of Spirited Away.

The art is beautiful with thin lines and deep and rich colors. The village and everyone in it looks a bit wonky with a touch of Alice in Wonderland. The facial expressions of the animals are stiff, which is perfect, since it creates this hollow feeling and this surely is the best part of the comic - it feels like there's so much more than meets the eye. It's hard to do this well. The structure is slightly sporadic though and I would've wanted more pages and slower pace, since the comic deserves that. I'm looking forward to the continuation, since if Marazano gets his act together, it could be so amazing that wow.

Once you really get down to it this is pretty much just a bargain-brand Studio Ghibli story. All the elements for something really great are there but it's just missing that extra special something to push it over the edge. But it was still a pretty fun read and the art and designs are absolutely gorgeous so I would recommend it if you're looking for a light middle-grade read or if you just like retellings of Asian folk tales. I am planning on checking out the second volume.