Folk Remedy: Book 1 - by Jem Yoshioka

Book Synopsis

The world is changing...can you keep up?

Meet Maple, apprentice apothecary who unearths a lost yokai with questionable motives and a penchant for mischief. Fans of Netflix's ONI: Thundergod's Tale and Pilu of the Woods will delight in this new graphic novel series inspired by Taisho Era Japan.

At twelve years old, Maple Akimura's future has already been decided. With her mother insisting she become an apprentice at the family apothecary business, Maple sees a small life in her village ahead of her.

Maple would rather spend her time with Kunio, her new friend visiting from Taisho City, than study her family's history. Her mother insists she reads the family book detailing the Akimuras' relationship to yokai (spirits and supernatural beings) over generations. To Maple, the stories of the yokai are just a remnant of traditional village living, amid 1920s Japan's rapidly advancing technology and the glamor of modern urban life--especially in bustling Taisho City. But Maple's encounter with a mischievous yokai named Ember sweeps the pair into the hidden spirit world, with only Maple's family stories to guide them.

Now, they must navigate hidden dangers, strange creatures, and dark secrets to send Ember home and empower Maple to find her own path.

Review Quotes

The colorful and bigeyed manga art style, not to mention the adorable creatures and antics, will appeal to fans of Studio Ghibli and Katie O'Neill's Tea Dragon Society. [...] Featuring yÅ kai from traditional Japanese folklore and the author's imagination, this delightful frolic through the spirit world will leave readers ready for the next installment of Maple and Ember's journey and friendship.
(Booklist)

This action-packed series opener features plenty of magical thrills. The charming illustrations have a historical feeling that evokes traditional Japanese woodblock prints, effectively using different color palettes to distinguish the human and spirit worlds. An intriguing, page-turning adventure infused with Japanese folklore.
(Kirkus Reviews)

About the Author

Jem Yoshioka is an award winning comic artist from the very real and not-at-all-fictional location of Wellington, New Zealand. She fell in love with comics because she can blend together her two loves of drawing and writing. It's been years now and unfortunately no one has been able to get her to stop, so they've given up trying (the lesson here is that stubbornness is a virtue). She lives a cozy life in a central city apartment with her black cat. Folk Remedy is her debut graphic novel.