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  • Ages 10 and up
  • 21ST CENTURY CLASSICS

Ari Baba no neko ga kiite iru

[Ali Baba’s Cat Is Listening]

Written by Shindō Etsuko
Illustrated by Satake Miho

Poplar, 2020. 222 pp. ISBN 978-4-591-16582-9.

Also published in: Korean

Sheikh is a Persian cat owned by Ali Baba, an Iranian linguist living in Japan, and is a special “elder” breed able to understand the words of people and objects. This ability makes the breed popular in Iran, where they are known as “bazaar cats.” While Ali Baba is away on a business trip, Sheikh is left in charge of the Open Sesame store, which sells folk crafts from around the world. Every evening, he hears stories from the goods that have arrived from far-flung locations. This includes Mrs. Tile, who is beautifully illustrated with birds and was once the lid for a honeybee hive in Iran, and Ms. Cord, who was woven by a nomad girl and adorned a bride’s camel in Afghanistan. There are also the Amazon Rascals, ceramic animals created by an Amazon schoolteacher, and Blueglass Boy, a rare Herat glass made in an Afghan workshop. These stories develop connections with the lives of people around, like Mr. Ishizuka, owner of the Open Sesame store; Naghmeh, an Iranian girl studying at a local Japanese class; Shōko, a chef at the restaurant opposite; and Pepe, a Nikkei Peruvian who was formerly Shōko’s student.

    In the objects and people from diverse backgrounds who gather at Open Sesame, one sees how war, social change, and other local conditions affect different parts of the world. But as these are seen through Sheikh’s eyes from a slightly elevated perspective, the book is easy to read. A warm fantasy showing multiculturalism in a corner of contemporary Japan. (OM)
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Shindō Etsuko

Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1961. After writing nonfiction about Turkey and Iran, followed her desire to work on children’s literature. Won the Japan Association of Children’s Literature Scholars Newcomer Prize. Her children’s books include Aoi chūrippu [Blue Tulips], Hendawane no tane no monogatari [Hendavane Seeds Story], Isutanburu de neko sagashi [Searching for a Cat in Istanbul], Sora tobu jūtan [Flying Carpets], Supūn wa shitte iru [The Spoon Knows], Tezukuri kōji no nakamatachi [The People in the Handmade Street], and Pinku no chibi chōku [The Small Pink Chalk].

Satake Miho

Born in Toyama Prefecture in 1957. Illustrates and designs books in a wide range of genres such as science fiction and fantasy. Books she has illustrated include the Moribito [trans. Moribito] series written by Uehashi Nahoko, the Bundabā [Wunderbar!] series written by Kuboshima Rio, the Majo no takkyūbin [trans. Kiki’s Delivery Service] series written by Kadono Eiko, the Rin no tani no rōwan [Rowan of Rin] series written by Emily Rodda and translated by Sakuma Yumiko, and the Jūnen-ya [Jūnen-ya] series written by Hiroshima Reiko.

Translation rights inquiries

Poplar Publishing Co., Ltd.
Email: foreign-rights-sales@poplar.co.jp
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