This delightful sequel to Kiki’s Delivery Service has our teenage witch and her cat Jiji making new friends and questioning their purpose. Kiki provides a free delivery service to the people of Koriko town and is normally happy to do so, as the resident witch with a talent for flying her broom. However, she feels uncomfortable or sometimes bemused about what she is asked to deliver. A curse in a black envelope? A baby hippo? A load of old tennis shoes? Herself?! It feels like no one is really looking out for her wellbeing, but helping people makes her feel better. It’s a nice gentle read, maybe not as good as the first book, but it’s full of quirky situations and characters with goodwill. No one is actually mean in the world of Kiki. When they do something wrong, they realise their mistake. If they appear to be unfriendly, there’s a reason behind it. I liked the book and was pleased to see at the end that another book, Kiki and the Other Witch, is coming soon. At the time I read the first one, it was the only work in the series that had been translated.

First published in Japan, 1993. English edition translated by Emily Balistrieri, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton and published by Puffin, 2026.