Mr. Reaper

“[T]he day they will die is something no person knows. The only one who knows, the one who decides the day is me, the Reaper.” Such is readers’ introduction to Japanese author/illustrator Miyanishi’s unsettling story about death, his first to be translated into English. Throughout, the Reaper supplies one chilling line after another: “I, the Reaper, take any form I wish. Flower, grass or tree I can be, even cloud or sky.” This idea is underscored by the book jacket, all glossy black except for two die-cut eyes (one reveals a dying wolf) and the hint of a smile. The story focuses on an ailing pig and a wolf that wants to eat the pig once it’s no longer sick. The wolf’s efforts to heal the pig bring about its own demise—sort of. Throughout, the Reaper speaks of the inevitability of death (“In fact, you two will soon die”), but the ending topples this notion, suggesting a capriciousness on the Reaper’s part that isn’t likely to reassure children. Miyanishi’s downright cheerful cartoons are an odd counterpoint, and the stilted translation doesn’t help. Ages 3–up. (Apr.)