I can imagine plenty of young boys absolutely loving this book.

It has adventure, a little mystery, wonderfully entertaining characters, and a raccoon who dreams of becoming a chef. What’s not to like?

Night Chef is a graphic novel by Mika Song, with lovely cartoon-style illustrations that do much of the storytelling. It’s a fun, easy-to-follow format, with plenty happening on every page.

The story follows a little raccoon who secretly lives in a restaurant and dreams of becoming a chef. She’s quite happy in her own little world until she discovers a baby crow who needs her help. Suddenly, she’s off on an adventure that takes her well beyond the kitchen.

It’s a lovely story about friendship, kindness, and finding the courage to do something unexpected. And, of course, there’s plenty of food involved, which adds to the fun.

What I particularly liked was that the story has plenty of heart without becoming overly sentimental. The little raccoon is a very determined character, and her adventure is entertaining enough to keep readers interested right through to the end.

The graphic novel format works well here. There’s lots to look at, and the illustrations help move the story along without long passages of text. For children who enjoy comics and cartoon-style adventures, I think this would be a real winner.

And isn’t it wonderful when you find a book that makes children want to keep reading? Sometimes it’s not about how many words are on a page but how much fun they have following the story.

Would I buy it? Yes, particularly for young readers aged seven to nine who enjoy graphic novels. And if you’re struggling to find a book that will encourage a reluctant young reader, especially one who hasn’t yet discovered the pleasure of reading, this could be just the thing.

A charming, entertaining little book with a story that’s easy to enjoy.