Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
The Cat Who Went to Heaven
A children's novel set against Japanese and Buddhist imagery, in which a poor painter's encounter with a cat leads to quiet redemption.
Work Information
A small cat brings a new prayer into the painter's heart.
Available in English and in Japanese translation.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 1967-07-01
- Pages
- 72 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 23.06 x 20.27 x 1.32 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780027197105
- ISBN-10
- 0027197107
- Price
- 3662 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Children's Books/Animals/Cats
A Newberry Medal Winner This timeless fable has been a classic since its first publication in 1930, and this beautifully illustrated edition brings the magic and wonder of the tale to a new generation of readers. In ancient Japan, a struggling artist is angered when his housekeeper brings home a tiny white cat he can barely afford to feed. But when the village’s head priest commissions a painting of the Buddha for a healthy sum, the artist softens toward the animal he believes has brought him luck. According to legend, the proud and haughty cat was denied the Buddha’s blessing for refusing to accept his teachings and pay him homage. So when the artist, moved by compassion for his pet, includes the cat in his painting, the priest rejects the work and decrees that it must be destroyed. It seems the artist’s life is ruined as well—until he is rewarded for his act of love by a Buddhist miracle.
Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth was a writer of fiction and poetry for children and adults. She won the 1931 Newbery Medal from the American Library Association award recognizing The Cat Who Went to Heaven as the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
Reviews
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About the Book
Hi! I read this book and it was a good book. I kind of felt sorry for the cat when it cried by mewing because the cat was sad. This book has an interesting part because it has some songs that the housekeeper wrote. All of them were interesting but my favorite one was “The Fifth Song Of The Housekeeper” because it used some interesting figurative language and sounded like a poem. I suggest to read the back of the book first before you start reading the book because you’ll get to know a little bit about the story and understand the book a little bit more. I am about 8 years old by the way. Bye!
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翻訳版がなかったので原本を購入
この書籍の翻訳版がとても素晴らしかったので、原本を購入。 本当は翻訳版がほしかったんだけど、絶版みたいですね。
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ええ話や
自分もネコを飼っているので、しみじみ感動しました。 ネコというのは、古代エジプトでは神のひとつとして神聖視されていましたが、日本ではそうではありませんでした。 化け猫なんていう言葉があるくらいなのですから、どちらかといえば恐れられていたのでしょう。 ネコはわがままで独善的、プライドが高いなどとよく表現されますが、このネコはその汚名を最後に返上しました。読んでいて気持ちよかったですね。 挿絵がどうも中国をイメージさせますが、西洋人からみれば日本も中国も同じようなものなのでしょう。
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1931年、ニューベリー賞受賞作品なんだけれど．．．
昔々、遥か遠い日本に、食べるにもこと欠く貧しい、若い画家がおりました。ある日ばあやは、客人を迎えることも出来ない寂しい生活の慰めに、三毛猫を連れ帰ります。 「幸」と名付けられたこの猫は大層おとなしく、人間の言葉を聞き分けているかのように利口でした。さて画家は寺の住職から、寺に飾る仏陀入寂の絵の依頼を受けます。彼は仏陀の一生を３日間瞑想し、描きます。続いて仏陀との別れに集まった動物たちが、どうして仏の慈悲を受けられるのか、ひとつひとつその善行を心に思い浮かべながら描き続けました。 「幸」は一つが描き上がる毎にじっと眺め入り、画家は 「幸」の賞賛を感じていました。画家はこの絵の中に「幸」も描き加えて喜ばせてやりたいと思うようになり、悩みます。なぜなら猫は仏の慈悲を受けられなかった動物なので、この絵に 「幸」を描くことは出来ないのです．．． 1931年、ニューベリー賞受賞作品です。表紙・挿絵はその当時のものでしょうか？なんとも異国情緒たっぷりで、到底日本ではありません。1930年代のアメリカ人が日本をどのように捉えていたのか、彼等の理解程度に興味があったら読んでみて下さい。
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Good value for money
Sounds interesting cant wait to read it. Beautiful read. Enjoyed reading it suitable for all ages
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the best book ever
i have read this book about ten times, and i have purchased it many times because i keep giving away my copy to people, to share and spread the love and the joy that it brings me. and a preference for cats over any other creature on the planet.
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Conmovedor
Es una linda historia llena de compasión, te saca algunas lágrimas.
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Beautiful.
I read this story as a child, in grade four and it stuck with me my entire life, (I'm 50+ now). It's my favorite story and I really believe it helped form who I am as a person. Just beautiful and it stirs so many feelings.
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Sad and Sweet
Such a sadly sweet story, I remember from my childhood. My Granddaughter enjoyed it.