What was the first manga book?

It's tricky to definitively say what was the *first* manga book, as the term "manga" has evolved over time and early examples were not always formally published in a book format.

However, some strong contenders for the title include:

* "Picture Stories of the Floating World" (1814): This book by Aikawa Minwa is considered one of the earliest examples of "manga" as a form of graphic storytelling.

* "The Life of a Courtesan" (1814): This book by Santō Kyōden was also a popular example of early manga and contributed to its growing popularity.

* "The Picturesque Handbook of the Eight Views of Edo" (1834): This book by Kawanabe Kyōsai is another early example of manga, and was one of the first to use a modern, sequential style of storytelling.

It's important to remember that these early examples were not always called "manga" but were considered a form of "picture stories" or "illustrated books". The term "manga" gained popularity in the 20th century, and evolved into the modern form of comic books and graphic novels we know today.