Description
This retelling of the most famous Japanese folktale captures positive values, love and kindness. A toymaker who cares for an injured cat ends up having his own life saved and is repaid with good fortune. This classic story reminds us that doing a good deed may offer its own rewards.
Reviews
The Tale of the Lucky Cat is a bilingual English/Japanese picture book retelling an ancient Japanese legend, about a humble toymaker who cared for an injured cat before its tragic death, and in turn was saved from lightning by the cat’s beckoning spirit. To remember his friend, he worked hard to create clay statues of a cat with a raised paw. Today these lucky cat statues, known as “maneki neko”, are popular throughout Japan for spreading good fortune. The appealing color illustrations add the perfect touch to this wonderful picture book, highly recommended for children’s library collections.
–Midwest Book Review
A rich cultural experience…A beautifully illustrated story from Japan to enrich our literature programs.
–MultiCultural Review
Sunny Seki’s bilingual retelling of the folktale..bring new life and depth to this ancient story. A welcome departure from so many stories that deliver instant gratification.
–Papertigers.org
About the Author
Sunny Seki is the award-winning author and illustrator of The Last Kappa of Old Japan, Yuko-chan and the Daruma Doll, and The Little Kokeshi Doll from Fukushima. A native of Japan, Sunny is also the teacher of a Southern California Japanese senryu poetry group.
