My Storybook Favorites

Nine Lives of a Cat: Falling Through the Generations

One of my favorite storybooks is Nine Lives of a Cat as I love the mysterious and clever creature that is the cat. Having two of my own, I loved seeing the playful and also serious nature of our feline friends crop up in the stories of Li Shou, U Kai, Bastet, and Muezza. I also enjoyed how the author weaved myths and folktales about cats into world history. The introduction was perfect for outlining the general premise of the storybook and for giving a glimpse into its contents. The design of the story book was beautiful and streamlined, with gorgeous photos of nature at the top and interesting depictions of cats and cat-like beings at the bottom.

A personal photo of my cat, Maximus.

Of Monsters & Myths: Sakurasou to Ume

Of Monsters & Myths is another of my favorite storybooks. The dialogue is interesting and well-written and I enjoyed the way the author incorporated various Japanese mythical creatures, her main characters, and the seasons. The introduction perfectly segues into the main story, showing how the main character has accidentally stumbled into a different time period in a Japanese forest. The fact that the main character, Asahi, must survive in a different time period while remembering little about her background and while falling in love with a man named Hoshihiko makes the storybook fascinating and the various monsters (like youkai and tanaka) add to the overall intrigue. As someone who is not very familiar with Japanese myths and folklore, I found this storybook informative and captivating and greatly enjoyed the beautiful photos and design of this project. 

Photo of a kitsune (one of the mythical creatures featured in this storybook) statue by Christopher Lance. Source: Flickr

Sunlight's Reflection: A Mirror for Gods and Humans

My last favorite storybook is Sunlight's Reflection, which tells the story of Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess, and her mirror. I enjoyed how the author depicted Amaterasu's learning of empathy, remorse, sincerity, understanding, and acceptance through the journeys she experiences in the reflection of the magic mirror. In these journeys, she learns about the nature of the gods, as well. I found this method of storytelling very interesting and engaging and deeply appreciated the artwork scattered throughout the storybook, as well as the gorgeous image of Mount Fuji at the top.

Woodblock print of Amaterasu emerging from a cave by Utagawa Kunisada. Source: Wiki Commons