Milk & Mocha Comics Collection: Our Little Moments by Melani Sie

Milk & Mocha Comics Collection book cover

Author and artists Melani Sie

Many thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of Milk & Mocha Comics Collection: Our Little Moments by Melani Sie. While I read this collection, I initially requested it for my daughter, who has read nearly all of the Milk & Mocha books. Milk & Mocha are two bears who are in a relationship. There stories are simple and primarily revolve around their bonds over food and fun despite their opposite personalities. Milk is the more outgoing and energetic bear, and Mocha is usually content with sleeping in and staying around their home. The bears have a small green pet dinosaur named Matcha, and they discover a yellow frog they named Mustard that also becomes their pet. The bears are round and cute, designed in the kawaii style, and feature simple stories that demonstrate their devotion and care for one another. This collection features several brief episodes that are mainly visual without much dialogue or words. Sie’s artwork and character designs convey the love and appreciation Milk & Mocha have for one another. The collection culminates with the bears planning a trip to Indonesia to visit Bali, stopping to visit the beach and temples while also watching a traditional Indonesian dance and also enjoying delicious Indonesian street food and restaurants. It’s a sweet collection that will leave readers feeling warm inside. My daughter loved reading this collection, paging through it several times, enjoying Sie’s warm and colorful panels and laughing at the silly and sweet displays of love and affection from Milk & Mocha. Although I’m not as big a fan as her, I also enjoyed paging through this collection. Sie’s artwork is cute, and the brief stories are fun and relevant to anyone who has had to share time and space with someone else. I smiled and giggled as I read through this collection, identifying more with Mocha but appreciating Milk’s insistence in getting out and exploring the world. Sie’s introduction mentions that this book is filled with ordinary moments in life, where nothing seems to happen but small, simple experiences of daily life. If anything, this book will make readers appreciate these simple moments and the ones we share these moments with.

Milk & Mocha has become more well known over the past few years, and Milk & Mocha Comics Collection is a nice entry to their loving, sweet relationship. This book is a cute collection that is easy to read and will appeal to a variety of readers. It’s a great book to read with kids, but also one that will bring some warmth and joy to older readers. Recommended!