A new 63-page encyclopedic picture book provides a great reference to the whimsical rides of Studio Ghibli films.

Tokuma Shoten Publishing released The Many Vehicles of Studio Ghibli on 21 June, selling on Amazon for about 1,500 yen (US$15). Inside, readers are treated to large illustrations of Ghibli’s most iconic vehicles from Porco Rosso’s Savoia S-21, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo’s magically large Pop Pop Boat, and of course the Möwe Glider from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

In addition to still frames from the films in which they appear, the book gives a detailed account of the roles these machines played in their respective adventures along with some detailed specs in some cases. It’s so detailed that it’s causing some to wonder if this book is intended for kids or adults.

▼ “A children’s book called The Many Vehicles of Ghibli went on sale, but this…I think this level of quality is wasted on kids. I didn’t know the names of a lot of vehicles that appear in the book. Even background vehicles are explained with phonetic writing when needed.”

▼ Just the other day my three-year-old was asking me about the horsepower of the Savoia S-21. Finally she can get the answer!

Image: Twitter/@nicoxi0112

▼ Even vehicles that appear but aren’t discussed in the films are written about here.

Image: Twitter/@nicoxi0112

Others had this to say about the book’s release:

“Oh that looks like a lot of fun!”
“The excitement does not stop through the whole book.”
“A must buy.”
“I want that! But is 64 pages enough?”
“Yeah, now I really want to ride a Möwe.”

Luckily for those who feel the same as that last comment, real Möwe technology is steadily improving.

Of course, vehicles aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily, this is but one in a series of books about Ghibli paraphernalia. Coming in February of 2017 is The Many Foods of Studio Ghibli which may actually contain cups of tea. But before that, we’ll see The Many Creatures of Studio Ghibli hit shelves in August of this year.

There’s lots of fun to be had for aspiring Ghibli experts or fans who simply want to take a whirlwind tour of animation studio’s esteemed catalog of works. At the moment, the book is only in Japanese, but the people behind it would be foolish to pass up at least an English translation and all the money that would come with it.

So keep your eyes peeled down the road, because you never know when The Many Vehicles of Studio Ghibli will roll into your town.

Source: Amazon, Twitter/@nicoxi0112, Natalie, Hachima Kiko (Japanese)
Top Image: Amazon
Video: YouTube/T.Kawasaki