The Boy Who Drew Cats: A Japanese Folktale - Hardcover

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by Lafcadio Hearn (Author), Anita Kreituse (Illustrator)

A beloved Japanese folktale retold by Lafcadio Hearn and vividly illustrated by artist Anita Kreituse.

A young boy has a singular talent: he's obsessed with drawing cats. Sent away to train as a priest, he holes up at a haunted temple stalked by a ferocious Rat Goblin. Talent and fortitude save the day when the boy's fantastic felines awaken in the night and defend their creator. Evocatively illustrated by Anita Kreituse, the art itself feels magical in this charming fable.

A powerful testament to being yourself and finding your true calling, The Boy Who Drew Cats will delight readers, and art lovers of all ages. Lafcadio Hearn's classic retelling finds a perfect pairing in Kreituse's fabulous and whimsical artwork.

Author Biography

Lafcadio Hearn was born in Greece, eventually settling in Cincinnati where he became the city's best-known crime reporter but was fired after marrying a black woman. Devastated, he moved to New Orleans, where he championed French Creole and Caribbean culture and created the city's image as a place of voodoo and debauchery. Hearn arrived in Japan at a time of historic change. Sent there as a correspondent, over the next dozen years, he published 15 books on his adopted home and emerged as the leading writer on Japan and Japanese culture.

Anita Kreituse is a Latvian artist, painter and illustrator. She worked as a magazine art director, book illustrator, illustrator for package design, stage and costume designer and is a member of Aritsts' Union of Latvia since 1992 and has participated in numerous important art exhibitions. Her illustrations of Puika, kas zimeja kakus (The Boy Who Drew Cats) were nominated for Janis Baltvilks Prize in 2017.

Number of Pages: 48

Dimensions: 0.6 x 8.8 x 8.5 IN

Publication Date: May 12, 2026