Kiki’s Delivery Service (Novel) (Hardcover)

Kiki’s Delivery Service Novel (Hardcover)

Read the modern classic about a young witch and her clever cat that started it all!
Nostalgic fans of the Hiyao Miyazaki film, Kiki’s Delivery Service and newcomers alike will love this exciting new translation of the beloved fantasy story.

Half-witch Kiki never runs from a challenge. So when her thirteenth birthday arrives, she’s eager to follow a witch’s tradition: choose a new town to call home for one year.

Brimming with confidence, Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places.

Blending fantasy with the charm of everyday life, this enchanting new translation will inspire both new readers and dedicated fans.

Biographical Notes:

Eiko Kadono has published nearly two hundred original works and received many accolades, including but not limited to the Hans Christian Andersen Award and a place on the IBBY Honor List for Kiki’s Delivery Service. She lives in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan.

Quotes / Reviews:

“A gentle story of magic-tinged independence.”— The Wall Street Journal

“A fantastical story of a charming witch. . . . [that] offers a glimpse into a few aspects of Japanese culture…. This new translation is perfect.” — School Library Journal

“Descriptive and whimsical, and both characters’ names and their appearances in Onoda’s anime-inflected illustrations create a Japanese-inspired fantasy world. The characters’ quirkiness creates the feeling that Kiki’s future will be filled with countless friends and adventures . . . An enchanting, gently humorous all-ages family read-aloud.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Kadono’s endearing, encouraging novel memorably shows that though the new can be scary, it can also be wonderful and make one a better person.” — Booklist

Title Notes:

Strong crossover potential: Teens, adults, and potentially parents who grew up with the 1989 Miyazaki film Kiki’s Delivery Service will instantly gravitate toward the nostalgia of this book.

Miyazaki adaptations: After being adapted into anime films by Hayao Miyazaki, the middle-grade novels Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (PBK sales of 194,906) and The Borrowers by Mary Norton (adapted as The Secret World of Arrietty, PBK sales of 286,219) found enormous extended fan bases, and Kiki’s Delivery Service is poised for similar success.

Clean, accessible fantasy: This middle-grade fantasy details Kiki’s various adventures as she learns to help others and grows into a young woman. Although she is a witch, her adventures are clean and age-appropriate for young readers.

Educator appeal: In addition to the film’s popularity, this slice-of-life story infused with witchy hijinks will appeal to educators interested in sharing works in translation with their students.

More details on Eiko Kadono:

Publisher’s Twitter Page

More works by Eiko Kadono