The Boy Who Drew Cats (1993)

by Arthur A. Levine

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An artistic young boy's love for drawing cats gets him into trouble and leads him to a mysterious experience. Based on a Japanese legend.

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In this fable, the fate of the boy illustrates the mysterious power of nature to save or destroy human life. This young artist has devoted himself to cats, and in drawing them, he wholeheartedly worships the genius, or spirit, of cats within himself.

nawal18 | Jun 9, 2018 |

This book makes us appreciate the uniqueness in all of us. Sometimes we need to let go of the things that suppress us and stick to the art we know and love.

jenmarin09 | Dec 5, 2015 |

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Canonical title

The Boy Who Drew Cats

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1993

People/Characters

Kenji [artist]

Matsuko [Kenji's Mother]

Yoshida [elderly, cranky priest]

Takada [young, kindly priest]

Important places

Japan

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

For my father, Milton L. Levine, an artist in his own right.

A. A. L.

I dedicate these paintings to Hokusai

F. C.

First words

There was a time, long ago, when no winds blew, no rain fell, and the fields of Japan became parched and cracked.

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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Original language

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Canonical LCC

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An artistic young boy's love for drawing cats gets him into trouble and leads him to a mysterious experience. Based on a Japanese legend.

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Book description

“According to Japanese legend, the famed fifteenth-century artist Sesshū Tōyō created ink drawings of animals that were so vivid, they could come alive. The tale was paraphrased by author Lafcadio Hearne (known in Japan, his adopted culture, as Koizumi Yakumo), whose version of The Boy Who Drew Cats (1898) was first printed in Tokyo by Takejiro Hasagawa as an illustrated pamphlet in “Japanese Fairy Tales Series.” T.p. verso

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