The Boy Who Drew Cats

K-Gr 4—In this splendid retelling of an oft-told tale, a young boy loves to draw cats, and will draw nothing else. He often neglects his chores, so his frustrated parents send him to a nearby temple to study. The priest tells Akiro that he will never become a priest and sends him away. As the child is leaving, the man advises him, "'Stay away from large places. Sleep only in small spaces.'" The confused boy wanders for many days, stopping to rest in a nearby village. A single lamp burns in its temple, which is full of clean, white rice-paper screens. Akiro begins to fill the screens with pictures of cats. He paints almost all night. Tired from his work, he remembers the words of his former master and creeps into a small cupboard and falls asleep. Night noises keep him restless but when he wakes up, a gigantic rat goblin is dead, and the beautiful cats he created have blood on their faces. The grateful villagers give him money and gifts and send him home to his family. The boy becomes a famous artist, especially known for his cats. The story is beautifully illustrated in ink and watercolors, and the yellowed rice paper backgrounds give the art an authentically ancient look. Ever present on the pages are drawings of cats, real and imagined. Charming renditions of Japanese folk life, temples, and traditional costume add to the gentleness of the tale. A pleasant addition to Japanese folktale collections.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH