Publishers Weekly
04/28/2014
A humorous narrative voice and careful ink-and-watercolor illustrations make this an engaging retelling of a classic Japanese legend. After being shuttled off to a temple by his parents, Akiro tries to train as a priest, but he doesn’t last long. After the priest tells him he lacks the temperament for that role, “Akiro did not know what a temperament was, but he realized he was being told to leave.” The climactic battle in which the cats Akiro obsessively draws save him from a goblin rat is suspenseful and just a tad gruesome. An enjoyable reminder that seemingly pointless talents and preoccupations can bear unexpected fruit. Ages 5–up. (May)
From the Publisher
"Storytellers, students of folklore and those who appreciate seeing the work of international children's-book creators will all welcome this intriguing import" - Kirkus
"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." - School Library Journal
"The book’s message is a good one: art is a worthwhile pursuit and can even save the day. That’s something worth passing on to budding artists." - Portland Book Review
School Library Journal
06/01/2014
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
Kirkus Reviews
2014-03-31
This adaptation of an (relatively) oft-told tale features a conversational text paired with illustrations that echo the story's Japanese origins. Ravishankar uses a straightforward, colloquial tone to tell the story of a young boy whose single-minded obsession with drawing cats has unexpected results. While this youngest son is not described as weak or sickly as in some other versions (by Arthur A. Levine and Frederic Clement, 1994, and Margaret Hodges and Aki Sogabe, 2002, among others), he is equally useless to his family. Recognizing his lack of agricultural aptitude, Akiro's parents take him to the local temple in hopes that he can be trained as a priest. When his behavior doesn't change, he is sent away again. This time, Akiro chooses his destination—a large temple in a nearby village. Kastl's spare paintings, outlined in pen and ink, appear on textured, sepia backgrounds meant to resemble rice paper. While some may feel that the characters' features are simplified to the point of stereotype, the overall impression is of respectful representation rather than cartoonish caricature. The abrupt climax, the impact of which is heightened by the artist's toothy and terrifying picture of the "gigantic goblin rat," will be a surprise to those unfamiliar with the tale. Storytellers, students of folklore and those who appreciate seeing the work of international children's-book creators will all welcome this intriguing import. (Picture book/folk tale. 5-8)
