Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead.

I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings.

Anything requested and approved will be read and a decent quality review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

It is so cute. While the translations made the illustrations a bit smaller it is a cute little motivational/time passing book.. You can honestly open it to any page and read it without the confusion of what is going on. It could also qualify as a self care book because the messages on every page are so uplifting and are quick reminders that we are all human and imperfect.

'Rilakkuma-By Your Side' by Aki Kondo is a book you can read any way you like. Since it's comprised of 2 page aphorisms, that makes it easy.

Rilakkuma is a bear and with his bird friend Kiroitori they teach the reader words of self help like 'There are times to rise and times to fall' and 'whether short of long, the day goes by.'

I liked the sayings. They have an almost zenlike quality to them, but I'm confused about who this book is aimed at. It's a pretty simple read with cute characters.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Shufu to Seikatsu Sha Co., Ltd., and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

My digital copy was unreadable as ithe pages there were too many problems with the pages. I assume this is not the same with hard copies, so won’t review it, good or bad.

I watched Rilakkuma on Netflix, and so when I saw this, I was quick to request for an ARC! And this was adorable. The illustrations are cute, and the haiku-like life advice were relatable. Some did seem like the meaning or message got lost in translation, but IT'S ADORABLE.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

The main reason for this 2 star rating is the way that they decided to leave the original Japanese text for everything and subtitle everything in a plain sans-serif font. As someone who has done localization of manga before, all of the text can be easily erased or be cleaned using content aware fill or spot cleaning brush in Photoshop without any skill. They could've used a cute font for the aside text from Rilakkuma & San-X characters on the illustration pages too.

The watercolor illustrations are really cute and the inspirational phrases are nice. It has a lot of self-care things like "If you fall into a hole, you can get out through a different one" and "Be sure to treat yourself right occasionally".

However, the content of this book is pretty basic and I would not recommend getting this for even a Rilakkuma lover as the quality is really lacking. If they had put more care into the localization, it would've been something that I would rec to fans of the brand.

When I first saw the cover, I thought: Oh, this is cute, I’d give it a go.

To my dismay, the text feels woody despite being marketed as a self-help guide about self-care. Would have been excellent in a more natural and conversational style.

The original Japanese text remains throughout the book. But the lack of formatting on the part of the English text is very vexing, while the typeface is also a poor choice with no regard for assimilating into the feel-good atmosphere that typically comes with Sanrio characters. On the whole, this book feels very sloppily put together with no effort.

For such an iconic character, it is unfortunate that such glaring pitfalls weren’t remedied in order to fulfill its potential of being relatable to English readers.

This was such a cute little book of inspirational quotes and funny little illustrations. All of the illustrations are colorful and fun. I love Rilakkuma and his little buddies! I look forward to other Rilakkuma books.

I just had to request it on NetGalley as soon as I saw it!! This book is full of encouraging messages and advice on living your life to the fullest. Along with it comes super cute illustrations of Rilakkuma and his friends that will make you smile. Super easy to read and get through.

*I received this e-book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the cover of the book and how cute it was and that was the reason I requested for this book. What's inside the book is just as aesthetically pleasing as the cover.

I loved how cute and adorable that the characters were and how they were drawn.

I loved the watercolor style that the book was in.

The only thing is the translation is completely off and doesn't really convey the meanings well and ended up seeming more pessimistic than optimistic in my opinion.

Nevertheless, I still loved the calming, whimsical aesthetic that the book had.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If this book’s mission is to provide advice and little bits of insight while also being insanely cute, it succeeds. It’s aesthetically pleasing, Rilakkuma are friends are so incredibly adorable, and the advice Kondo provides is spot-on. You can open to any page and find advice translated from Japanese. It’s certainly an optimistic light in this stressed out, anxious world.

When I went to Japan, I saw Rilakkuma everywhere;a cute little bear figure adorning pencils, erasers, bags and other popular school supply items. It was a big hit with preteens and teens; hitting their need for "kawaii" (cute) things.

So, I had a preconceived notion of what a Rilakkuma book would be. I expected a short collection of drawings on the mishaps of confused, cuddly bear.

It is totally not what I had expected.

It is totally different from A.A. Milne's rendition of childhood favorite.

Let me be clear, this book is meant to be a collection of inspiring bits of wisdom, The "cuteness" factor almost didn't come into play. I was so thrown, that I had to take a step back and come back to it at a later date, to give it a fair evaluation.

The drawings are simply drawn, adorable pictures; typical manga artwork. The words, however, did not flow for me. It was difficult to connect with. I think that I understood what the author was saying, but I also felt like I missed a deeper message. If there was some greater truth or inspiration, it was lost on me. It might not be the fault of the book, but in the translation. I don't know if the words would reveal different layers of meaning for a Japanese person. Perhaps I don't have the background to truly appreciate the book.

Adorable read with even more adorable photos. It follows Rilakkuma and friends as they go through slices of life. Lovely book with little pieces of advice speckled among pastel drawings.

a really cute and really short story with adorable pictures. I really enjoyed the messages that were being told and I giggled at a few. Very wholesome!

This is a cute and unique week book with adorable illustrations and uplifting wee anecdotes. This is the perfect book to have on hand for a wee pick me up. Some of the anecdotes are not as relatable but its a lovely book nonetheless.

This was a very cute book featuring illustrations of Rilkkuma and friends. I personally loved the water color style the illustrations had, it made them feel very sweet and welcoming. The quotes were all about how to essentially better your life, some with a funny twist. My only complaint would be some of the translations seem slightly off, which does ruin the flow of the book. Other than that this is a very cute and short book, great for anyone who is a fan of Rilakkuma.

Even though this book was really simple, it was really soft and calming. The aesthetic of the illustrations is pastel without any hard lines, so it gives off a comforting vibe, and the animals are so cute. Sometimes you just need reminders that things will be okay.

This book got me screaming 'MOOD' to a few of the pages (especially the ones about bed because who doesn't love their bed?!) It's an adorable, positive book and the illustrations are so cute. I love Rilakkuma and this book was like a little pocket of sunshine!

Rilakkuma is a cute and popular fictional bear character created by Japanese author Aki Kondou in 2003. Rilakkuma is a transliteration of two Japanese words “rirakkusu” meaning “relax” and “kuma” meaning “bear” in English.

Kondou has written the book in a simple manner that has no plot, hence it can be read out of order. The cute words of inspiration that were intended by the author, have been lost in the English translation. In some parts of the book it doesn’t make sense. For instance, “Tears are tickets to going to bed” and “Even if you work really hard, you can still get drenched”.

The book would have been more enjoyable to read in a physical form, as the electronic format did not showcase the full colours and effects of the cute and simple illustrations.

Rilakkuma By Your Side by Aki Kondou is a pleasant and lighthearted book to read for children and readers who are young at heart.

Two words: Cute and simple. By Your Side is a series of different everyday scenes of Rilakkuma and his friends. It’s pretty sweet, a simple quote book filled with adorable art of the well-loved cartoon characters. It’s a book I would keep at my shelf and look through if I’m feeling down.

Don’t expect a lot from this book, it’s mainly pictures with some inspiring quotes alongside it. But it’s delightful and optimistic. I believe this was released in anticipation of Rilakkuma’s upcoming Netflix series, which I did not know what happening. And now I’m pretty excited to watch it.