Meet Memen, the calm and collected older sister, and Mori, the curious younger brother. When Mori asks big questions like, “What is the meaning of life?,” how does big sis Memen respond? Through humorous and tender moments, the two siblings teach that sometimes, the answer to life is less complex than we think.

From Memen to Mori is written and illustrated by Shinsuke Yoshitake. English translation by Ajani Oloye. Published by Yen Press. (September 23, 2025)

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

If I had read this picture book as a small child, or even as a slightly older one, it would have terrified me. It exists somewhere on the border of existentialism and nihilism, filled with musings about the meaning of life and death for the picture book set, and that's a lot to take for the average first grader. Across three chapters, it discusses unloved dirty snowmen, the fragility of existence, and the purpose of living in ways that aren't too difficult for children to grasp, but aren't necessarily great for unsupervised reading.

The book stars older sister Memen and her little brother Mori. In chapters one and two, Mori poses questions about existence and life to Memen, who answers with strangely adult information about self-determination and free will. The second chapter, arguably the strongest, is told from the perspective of a snowman the children build and then leave when he becomes dirty. This is, I feel, the strongest piece, although also the most openly depressing. The snowman knows he's melting (dying) and laments the fact that he can't become a human to travel the world taking pictures of and comforting unloved snowpeople, recording them for posterity before they melt. It's a thinly-veiled musing on the end of life and the desire to be remembered, and it's remarkably sad. I do think it would work as a discussion point for children dealing with impending loss, but it absolutely needs to be read with an adult for this message to be fully understood.

That goes for the entire book. This isn't a picture book to just hand to a child and let them absorb on their own; a first reading needs an older reader to help explain it. This is particularly true for the first story, where Mori breaks a plate and Memen guides him through the fragility of being. She specifically mentions that we could die at any time, and this would have unlocked a few new fears for me when I was in the intended audience, such as being squashed flat by a shooting star, something that would never have occurred to me otherwise.

None of this is to suggest that this is a bad book; it's got an engaging art style that's appealingly simple and the font choice is charming. The colors are bright, and the length makes it feel like a greater accomplishment to finish it for younger readers. But don't just hand it to a child – this needs adult guidance to avoid scaring young readers. Whether you want to explain the title is up to your discretion.