Member Reviews
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! |
Laura G, Reviewer
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. |
I absolutely loved this title! Dealing with severe anxiety myself, this was so calming and a complete treat to read. |
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. |
Thank you NetGalley for the ebook. All opinions are my own. I want to make it clear that I love Rilakkuma. I own plushies and Rilkkuma merchandise at home. I am also looking forward to watching the Netflix show this upcoming Spring! Alas, I did not like this book. I understand that the translation may not have been 100%. The book mostly consisted of adorable drawings, but I had a hard time connecting with the book. Looking at the cover, its adorable. I assumed it was going to be a cute children's story, but it felt flat. It's a book of affirmations, and it was all over the place. And sadly, I felt it is forgettable. This is not a book I would consider purchasing for myself, nor would I recommend it...despite my love of Rilakkuma. |
Tracy H, Reviewer
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! |
Tesha H, Librarian
This book is full of adorable artwork and great things to think about and apply to your life. It shouldn't be categorized as a teens and ya book though as it pertains to a general audience. |
Ben G, Media
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. |
Loren N, Librarian
A very cute motivational book. It is a fun and quick read with adorable art. Some parts are a little it confusing though and seem to not quite be in an understandable order. |
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. |
The illustrations are waaay too cute, but I didn’t find any REAL depthness in the quotes/phrases. Besides, the edition format is difficult to read: the book is written in Japanese and it has english translation, buuut it needs fixing. So, the art is adorable, but the content and style are kinda off. |
Super B, Librarian
This one was the cutest book I ever read, like ever I loved it a lot and rilakkuma is really the best |
In this book we meet the kawaii character Rilakuma in this short but handy quote self help guide book. Reminding us to take care and listen to our emotions and bodily feelings as well as being illustrated with cute designs throughout featuring the popular kawaii bear. This book is perfect for anyone of age and the bright colours of the book uplift you along with the positive quotes used throughout. Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them! |
Super cute, inspiring and heart-warming read. I recommend it to anyone who likes cute drawings, inspirational quotes and Japanese culture/language. All the text in the book is both in English and in Japanese. Cons: I think maybe the document was too heavy and I had trouble reading it on Adobe Digital Editions, every couple of pages or so the app seemed to block and I missed pages unless I went back again. Towards the end, there were some repeated pages. Also, in some cases I didn't find the connection between the drawings and the sentences. |
A book full of positive messages and encouragement. The graphics are just simply adorable. This will be a perfect book for children who need to be reminded of some of the messages included in this book. |
THIS WAS CUTE. I love Rilakkuma so I really wanted to read this book. I read it whithout expectations and like it. The pages are random, so you can read the book in any order. The quotes were inspiring and the illustrations really cute and funny, although there were some parts that seemed disorganized(?). Some pages had illustrations without quotes or they didn't have any relation. Would I buy it? Yes. I can definitely see it in my desk at work to keep me motivated. As Marie Kondo says, it sparks joy :). |
Reviewer 543666
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. I am familiar with Rilakkuma, the San-X character that appears as stuffed animals and in various Japanese stationary so I was excited to see such a book available for review and snatched it right up! I was expecting there to be more of a coherent story, but there isn't. The pages are more random and intended to give feelings and inspiration, the same way the stationary does. Added bonus for students of the Japanese language: the Japanese words aren't erased, they appear as original with English translations on the bottom. I think this is the kind of book that's perfect as a gift both for people who are into Japanese stuff and also for people who like cute things like Pusheen. It's a relaxing kind of book you rarely see on the shelves of American bookstores. I just wish it had been longer. |
"Mr. Moon is different everyday too." This was the cutest and surprisingly meaningful. There were many little sayings that I related to right now and the pictures were an adorable addition. Even some of the more interesting translations ended up being particularly poignant, as I often find with translations. I plan to revisit this book often in the future and want to buy a physical copy. |




