Kampung Boy by Lat

In this pictorial autobiography, a famous Malaysian comics artist explains growing up in a small Southeast Asian village.

While the environment of Lat's story is unfamiliar to most Americans, it's also quickly easy to see how similar kids are everywhere in the world: He'd rather fish than do his homework. His dad tells him stories and facts about the nature around them. And while he may be studying the Koran in his stories, but it's just like kids in catechism or Hebrew school when you get right down to it.

It's a great story, and entertainingly told. While the people are cartoony, the also have enough realism to recognize individuals and ethnic characteristics. Each page is usually a single scene, with the illustration enriching the accompanying text.