I've begun to read manga since I was 5th grade, and it was through all my teenager life until I went into univeristy. At that time, the best thing i could do is "alone in my room, laying in my bed and reading manga". The first manga I read is Dragon Ball and it was my favorite too. But, Dragon Ball is not the best work of Akira Toriyama. Dr. Slump is his best manga, in my opinion.

I saw a lot Dragon Ball stuff in Sweden, but never seen anything about Dr. Slump. Even today, Dr. Slump is still popular in Japan. If you like Akira Toriyama's work, I recommand you to read Dr. Slump.