Hello kitties

Last time I went to the library, I noticed at least three children's books that featured Japanese cats. I was struck by this high incidence of felines, but then I remembered Hello Kitty, and had a moment of "Duh, of course!" I'll get to all of these books in due time. Cat lovers and Japanophiles, here is the first one.

In Eric A. Kimmel's Three Samurai Cats, a brute of a rat terrorizes a hapless daimyo, or feudal lord, who seeks help from the eponymous three samurai cats. The rat makes short shrift of the first two felines, despite their show of force. The third, rather decrepit-looking cat tests the daimyo's patience with his opaque strategy, but the rat finally succumbs to his gluttonous appetite for glutinous treats. Kimmel's lively prose is nicely matched with Mordicai Gerstein's comic images.

Eric A. Kimmel (author) and Mordicai Gerstein (illustrator)
Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan
Holiday House, 2003