Posted to Goodreads: 7/11/2025

This was such a fun book and I can't wait to see where the story goes! This book follows Sheeta, a young "littlefolk", who is about the size of a mouse. When his friend ventures into the outside, he must find him. Sheeta is in for a lot of adventure, and a mystery revolves around Sheeta's dad, who left him 5 years ago and hasn't returned. If you want to escape to a world where the tiny prevail, this is definitely a book for you. I was given the chance to read this book through NetGalley, and I hope it finds other readers who enjoy it as much as I did!

Can I just say this book is amazing! I cant wait for Vol 2!!!! It's like an adventurous spin off of The Borrowers. Full with whimsical and cozy details
The story line draws you in instantly!! It's like a Ghibli film on manga. If you like stories about adventures in the wilderness, friendship, and cozy vibes this is the manga for you!!! No second thoughts!!

Cute manga about tiny little people. the main character being Sheeta who is looking for his friend who went to look for the big tree. He meets different characters along the way and has different adventures. I'm certainly interested in reading more! it's so cute.

This is a great all ages adventure manga that I will be recommending to school libraries to purchase for their collections. The world building and mystery has appeal for kids, teens, and adults alike.

I had high hopes for this book, and it absolutely lived up to them! Sheeta, one of the 'littlefolk,' embarks on a perilous journey to find his friend who left to see the world beyond their village. Outside of his village, nestled inside a hollow log, a world of dangers awaits those the size of a blade of grass. I found this story engaging, suspenseful, and compelling. I can't wait for the next volume and I look forward to sharing it with readers.

I'm always on the hunt for Ghibli-esque media, but I don't often come across titles similar to "The Secret Life of Arrietty". It sure is in my top 5 Ghibli movies, so I'm glad to have stumbled upon this sweet little manga that also features littlefolk. The characters in the manga don't live among humans though, and the story mostly takes place in the forest. It's about the young boy Sheeta who leaves his village to search for his father and his friend. Of course everything is dangerous when you're as tiny as a mouse, but Sheeta soon crosses paths with a stranger and learns about survival in the wild. The manga was actually kind of informative, explaining certain animal behavior and survival methods. It reads pretty young but still shows the everyday brutality of nature. The art was very sweet for the characters and intricate for backgrounds. I especially liked the villages of the littlefolk, like Sheeta's village inside a fallen tree log. It's a series and so far there wasn't any progress in the search for Sheeta's father and his friend, but I honestly didn't mind. It's an adventurous story with various stops along the way, and that works very well for me too.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, Yuki Kamba, and Kodansha Comics, for a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review!

Final Verdict 5.0

I've read this a few times, and I have to say that I really enjoy this manga! I wasn't sure what to expect when I decided to read it, but it's more charming than you think. Sometimes, all-ages stories can feel a little too geared towards a younger audience, but this felt like it was written with all ages kept in mind. That isn't to say that there are any hidden adult references, like a lot of E-rated material tends to sneak in, but the characters, world, and stories are so endearing you can simply get lost in them. I really do like this world and the way nature is used as both something beautiful and equally dangerous. I also love how the author handles the natural coursing of life and death in the world of nature. Everything happens for a reason, there is a natural process to the way the world works, and the author doesn't shy away from this, but they also aren't overbearingly gruesome about it.

Overall, I'm very intrigued by this world and the adventures that will be set before these characters, and I can't wait to read the next volume!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced e-copy.

Well, this was stinkin' adorable! I had a great time in this tiny world.

We meet Sheeta and Nala, Littlefolk friends. They live in a community of itty bitty friends. Sheeta is on the lookout for his father, who disappeared five years prior, but said he would come back for Sheeta. Nala, a hot-headed little guy, takes off into the vast wilderness in search of Sheeta's father. So, being like any good friend, Sheeta follows Nala. He gets into some trouble with the wildlife (frogs, weasels, fish, ants) and meets Izuna (who has an unexpected connection to Sheeta's father) and Princess Kugel. It's a big world out there for these little ones. I am eager to see where this story goes! Very fun and light and charming.

I enjoyed the heck out of this volume! This is a very fun and wholesome-feeling adventure. Thinking about it from a kid's perspective, those who are sensitive to animal death might be a bit upset by it, but for most tweens this is an awesome adventure manga that will hold their attention and hopefully get them to want to read more.

this was such a cuuute and heartwarming story. excited for the next installment to come out! it’s the perfect manga for kids too. 💖

With the whimsy of The Borrowers of The Secret of Arietty and the darker edge of Redwall, the story of Sheeta and his search for his missing friend is both charming and full of dangers.

Volume 1 introduces the main character who was left behind by his adventuring father five years ago. Now, he has set off on a journey away from the safety of his adopted village and is trying to save the hot-headed Nala. However, hungry animals, warring ants, and a mysterious stranger out for revenge don't make things easy...

I liked the innovations the folk created to make their lives easier, and it was fun seeing how Sheeta would figure out different problems. I found that sometimes the details were a little hard to make out (especially trees!) but overall the expressions and design are very good.

The little tidbits of information about different creatures and plant life was interesting and I could see this being a great read for younger readers in particular.

I enjoyed volume one and will be seeking out the next book quickly as I'm curious to see how the cliffhanger resolves.

A fun, adventurous, quirky tale of a small character going on a big adventure!

I had such a fun time! Going on an adventure with Sheeta and meeting all the fun characters along the way, learning facts about the real world and problem solving, it was all adorable and a great time. It's always manga like these that I wish were in color because the possibilities? Endless.

Highly recommend!

Five years ago Sheeta's father left him with his best friend Nala's village saying he would return for Sheeta, however, after so much time has passed Sheeta has given up on ever seeing him again. Nala has not though and one evening she leaves on her own adventure to find Sheeta's dad. Sheeta immediately leaves after her determined to find her but thats a tall order for one of the little people and Sheeta isn't so certain he has the skills needed to survive out in the big world!

This was just a cute little fantasy adventure manga that could have felt like a Borrowers rip off but did not. It does definitely feel like any fantasy adventure anime though but with the "little people" twist it's from a completely different perspective, quite literally. What I found really interesting about this though is the little people don't seem to know what humans are, which means there is going to be some sort of interesting twist there.

If you are looking for a quick, light read this is the perfect manga for you!

As always thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the eArc!

What a great start to a story! I cannot wait to learn more about this world and all the little folk living in it. Sheeta as a character has a lot of potential and I hope we get to a point that we see him grown and turn into a warrior.

I thought this would be cozier cottagecore, more along the lines of 'Hakumei and Mikochi,' and instead it was more like 'Mouse Guard' and other a bit grimmer/more gritty stories. The Borrowers comp isn't too off-base, but with fairly high stakes and lots of murder of (and by!) the little animals. Not my thing, but I'm sure it'll work for many.

Sheeta is too cute for his own good!

Tiny little children having all kinds of adventures.. yes please!

This was so wholesome and the plot was amazing!

Sheeta's Little Big World is such a cute manga and only three books long. It's seinen and as much as it's cute, it's also somewhat dark and serious. A great combination. Our main characters are Sheeta and Nala. They live in a village for little people and Sheeta's dad left him there years ago. Now Nala wants to find Sheeta's dad and have adventures, but Sheeta enjoys the village life. So, basically Nala disappears all on his own and Sheeta must now find him for the world is a dangerous place. The story is about friendship, family and home. Also, it will interesting to know why Sheeta's dad hasn't come back for his son. Three books feel slightly short though, so it's hard to say what can even happen, but at least now the pace is good as well as the balance.

The art looks wonderful and heartwarming. The characters have personality and facial expressions, which is great. The backgrounds are interesting and the nature seems so luscious. Shorter series are good too, so I look forward to what will happen and how things are tied together eventually.

Sheeta’s Little Big World is an interesting manga that is rather cute, although personally I didn’t like the animal killing (but understood the reasoning). It’s a good adventure story that sees Sheeta going on an adventure to find the source of a mysterious smoke signal. The illustration was lovely and really helped capture the whimsy of the story.
As always thank you to Kodansha Comics for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.
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For starters it gave me a bit of nostalgia, as it sort of reminded me of the Borrowers and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. The art work was definitely Studio Ghibli feeling. It was a story of finding not only Sheeta's father, but mainly to find his friend who left their little folk village. All ages can enjoy this short series (only going to be three volumes). The target audience is geared more toward the younger/tween audience though.

I give this a three stars because personally I wasn't necessarily hooked into the series and feel if I did four it would be more because of the nostalgia I felt. You can sense that the Little Folk Village might have been hiding the fact that there are others (even possibly other villages) outside of their community. Which leads you to wonder what else they might be hiding. Sheeta is basically raised by the village, as his father left him there. We also find out that his father might be a criminal. I am curious about what his father might have been involved in, which leads me to think he was left at the village for his protection.

What a beautiful and charming story. One day, Nala sneakily leaves the safety of their village in search of Sheeta’s long lost adventurer dad, so Sheeta feels obligated to sneakily leave and go rescue Nala. But, both of them are Little Folk, no bigger than a mouse, so the world Outside is dangerous for them. Enter scary “monsters” in the for of weasels, rats, and even a colony of ants! The cute illustrations help make this appealing for younger readers, but Sheeta also has opportunity for some emotional depth that makes this appealing for middle grade and possibly teen readers as well.

Sara’s Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 5-10