Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan

The Eastern mind reveres its elders. An important point. "Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan" retold by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein emphasizes this point. A rat walks into a dog's castle and basically assumes control. The dog daimyo goes to a distant shrine where samurai cats are known far and wide for their skills. He asks the docho to send his best warrior to defeat the rat. A samurai of flash and beauty is soundly defeated. A second tougher samurai cat is sent. He is heavily armored, but he too must show off his skills and is defeated. At last, a master samurai arrives, but insists on fighting the rat in his own way. He sleeps, eats, sleeps, eats. The rat grows bolder. How the samurai cat defeats the rat is so easy. He uses the rat's own vices against him. Children never fail to understand the lessons, love the art, and clamor for more stories about the Samurai Cats!

This is truly a great story, and the illustrations are wonderful as well. It teaches kids a valuable lesson.

We have read many, many childrens' books with our three children and this remains one of our favorites. It's exotic and funny, fun for girls and boys and has a nice lesson.

"There was once a daimyo, a powerful lord, whose castle was occupied by a savage rat," begins Three Samurai Cats. The daimyo seeks help from a distant shrine that is famous for its fighting cats who are tough, skilled fighters. Eric Kimmel's adaptation of a Zen story is a strange and entertaining tale where the wisest cat allows his enemy to defeat himself. Karen Woodworth-Roman, Librarian

Three Samurai Cats: A Story From Japan is a folktale from Japan retold for young readers by Eric A. Kimmel and impressively illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. After a rat takes over his castle, a canine lord knows that he needs the help of a samurai cat. The first one arrives, draws his sword, charges the rat -- and is soundly defeated. The next samurai cat arrives in full armor -- but is also defeated. Then an old, toothless, ragged-tailed cat limps to the castle -- but how can such a one succeed where other younger, stronger, sword wielding samurai felines have failed? Three Samurai Cats is a elegantly wonderful picture book story that will utterly fascinate and thoroughly delight young readers.