Japan
Kiki's Delivery Service
By Eiko Kadono, Emily Balistrieri (Translator), Yuta Onoda (Illustrator)
Kiki’s Delivery Service. Eiko Kadono. Translated by Emily Balistrieri. Illustrations by Yuta Onoda. Delacorte Press, 2020. Originally published as 魔女の宅急便 (Majyo no Takkyubin) in Japanese by Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers, Inc., in Tokyo, in 1985. Kiki’s Delivery Service was originally published in English in 2003; this is a new translation. ISBN 9781984896667. 208 p. (Ages 8-12). Fiction.
From the publisher: “Thirteen-year-old half-witch Kiki travels to the town of Koriko, where she makes new friends, overcomes challenges, and shares her magic with her community to make the world a brighter place.” The book inspired the Hayao Miyazaki film by the same name. A Junior Library Guild selection. The author Eiko Kadono won the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018. [all]
Africa South of the Sahara
South Africa
Paris Cat
By Dianne Hofmeyr, Piet Grobler (Illustrator)
Paris Cat. Dianne Hofmeyr. Illustrated by Piet Grobler. Tiny Owl Publishing, 2020. First published in London, 2020. ISBN 9781910328620. 32 p. (Ages 5-7). Picture book.
Kitty is determined to follow her dreams to leave the alleyways of Paris to live all of her nine lives to the fullest. She travels around Paris singing with Edith Piaf, designing her own costumes, and dancing with Josephine Baker. A 2021 International Youth Library White Raven Selection. Learn more from the publisher’s website… and then watch the author read Paris Cat. [gd]
The Middle East & North Africa
Morocco
Alya and the Three Cats
By Amina Hachimi Alaoui, Mehdi Retnani (Translator), Maya Fidawi (Illustrator)
Alya and the Three Cats. Amina Hachimi Alaoui. Translated by Mehdi Retnani. Illustrated by Maya Fidawi. CrackBoom! Books, Montreal, 2020. Originally published in Arabic by Yanbu Al Kitab, in Casablanca, in 2016. ISBN 9782898022364. 32 p. (Ages 2-4). Picture book.
Three curious cats watch the changes that come when their owner becomes pregnant and brings home a new baby. With time their uncertainty turns to love for the newcomer. Good for preparing little children for a new sibling. Well and widely reviewed by the international literature community. Also available in French as Alya et les trois chats. [ea]