The beloved Japanese classic receives its very first English translation, along with an introduction by Neil Gaiman. First published in 1937, Genzaburō Yoshino’s How Do You Live? has long been acknowledged in Japan as a crossover classic for young readers. Academy Award–winning animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle) called it his favorite childhood book and announced plans to emerge from retirement to make it the basis of a final film. The obvious answer is to check out both books that inspired the films and books made from the films. Howl’s Moving Castle is both book and movie, delightful in both forms. The Secret World of Arrietty, with a screenplay cowritten by Miyazaki, takes inspiration from The Borrowers by Mary Norton. Miyazaki films are also frequently made into graphic novels. Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, Spirited Away, and Kiki’s Delivery Service all received that treatment. There are books of the films’ artwork as well. But if you’re looking for other stories that evoke Miyazaki-esque feelings, you’ve come to the right place. Books for Miyazaki fans run the gamut of age range and genre, but there are themes that tie them together. Imaginative worlds to get lost in, inhabited by wondrous creatures. Determined characters who get creative and learn to believe in their own powers. Antagonists who come in varied forms, often with trickster attributes that don’t sit neatly on a good-to-bad spectrum. And plots highlighting humanity’s responsibility to care for our natural environment. I’ve curated a selection of books that touch on these themes with stories both serious and whimsical, rooted in folklore or everyday life. You’re sure to find one that can match your favorite Miyazaki film. I’m sincerely hoping you can find something on this list to whisk you away to a world of wonder and enchantment. If you’ve exhausted this list of books for Miyazaki fans, we have another that goes movie by movie. In conclusion, did you know that this article has a soul? It’s true, according to the Baron from The Cat Returns. He said, “Whenever someone creates something with all of their heart, then that creation is given a soul.”
