Based on a Buddhist folktale, For the Love of a Cat by Rosalind Wilson (1942–1992) and illustrated by Wen Hsu (Katha, 2010) is a thought-provoking story about acceptance and having the courage to do something you know deep down is right, even if it goes against the status quo. Don’t get me wrong, though – there’s nothing heavy-handed about the story or its retelling here: in fact, it would provide a very gentle, reassuring end to the day, as a bedtime readaloud.

An impoverished artist who lives with his beloved cat Tara arrives at his last meal, a small fish. Realising that it is not enough for both of them, he gives it to Tara then lies down to await death. Instead, some Buddhist monks come knocking at the door and give him the best comission he’s ever had: “a beautiful painting of the Holy One with all the creatures of nature around him.” There’s just one condition – “all the creatures of nature” does not include cats, since they had heard that the Buddha did not like them. The painter begins his work in the temple, but meanwhile Tara becomes very ill and he finds himself in a terrible quandary – to follow orders or his heart…

I was so happy to find this book in the pile I brought back recently from the office in San Francisco – I’ve been a big fan of illustrator Wen Hsu’s since we featured her in our Gallery and I interviewed her a couple of years ago. Her illustrations here are just as gorgeous as you’d expect, with her signature combination of bright colors and paper cut-outs. There’s a wonderful array of faces to take in, as well as plenty of animals for small listeners to find, and Tara the cat is just beautiful. As well as the book cover above, you can get an idea of the artwork from Wen’s photo of all the originals laid out here, on Wen’s blog.

And if the story sounds familiar, it is probably because you know The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth, which won the Newbery Medal in 1930. In that retelling of the story for older readers, the setting is Japan. Depending on the ages of your children, why not read them both; or read For the Love of a Cat now, with its vibrant Indian setting, and make a note to introduce them to Coatsworth’s beautifully written tale in a few years’ time?

The Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) is a non-profit organization which promotes mutual understanding and cultural cooperation among people in Asia and the Pacific, particularly in the fields of culture, book development, and literacy promotion. Since its beginning, ACCU’s literacy programs have focused on disadvantaged groups, such as those with limited education opportunities in rural areas, in particular girls and women. ACCU provides monetary and technical support to create regional versions of posters, booklets, games and puppets thereby making its literacy programs relevant to local life, culture, and languages.

For its Book Development projects, ACCU produces, translates, and distributes children’s books throughout Asia and trains local experts in an effort to contribute to the strengthening of local children’s book production. ACCU sponsors the Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations, which showcases the talents of up-and-coming illustrators, graphic designers and artists in Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Arab States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Click here to read PaperTigers’ recent interview with illustrator Wen Hsu, winner of the 2008 Noma Concours Grand Prize; and here to view our gallery featuring some of her award-winning illustrations.

This past March, ACCU held a symposium entitled “Artists of Children’s Books in Asia, Africa and Latin America”. Children’s book authors, illustrators (including Wen Hsu) and publishers from Costa Rica, Japan, the Philippines and Sudan were invited to Japan to share their thoughts on current issues in children’s book development in their respective countries, and to discuss the role of picture books in culturally diverse societies. A booklet containing the panelists’ papers is now available for download. To download selected papers, use the links below:

* Current Situation of Illustrators and Children in Costa Rica – Wen Hsu (Costa Rica)
* The Complicated Pleasure of Children’s Books – Karina Bolasco (Philippines)
* The Current Situation for Illustrators and Children’s Books in Sudan – Alaeldin Elgizouli Naeim (Sudan)
* Children, Festivals and Traditional Culture – Tajima Yukihiko (Japan)
* Picture Books Are More than Just Educational Tools – Tanaka Naoto (Japan)

The new issue of PaperTigers, focusing on Children’s Book Awards, is now live! The homepage welcomes readers with a quote from Astrid Lindgren, whose Memorial Award is among the most prestigious in the world:

Somewhere inside the secret rooms of the soul a child, alone with a book, creates personal images that surpass everything else. Such images are necessary for human beings. The day
that children’s imaginations no longer have the energy to create them will be the day when the human race becomes poor. All the big things that happened in the world happened first in the imagination of one person, and how the world of tomorrow will look depends largely on the measure of imaginative power in the minds of those who right now are learning how to read. That is why children need books.

Lindgren’s powerful words leave no doubt as to the importance of children’s books… But how do we find the best books, if we can’t read them all? That’s one of the reasons why we need book awards.

Our newly-added features highlight prize-winning books, book creators, and the many awards that honor them and help the shining light of great stories reach near and far… Some of the new features include: interviews with Américas Award Coordinator, Julie Kline; Asian/Pacific American Award Committe Chair, Dora Ho; and Jane Addams Award Committee Chair, Susan C. Griffith. Plus opinion pieces by Malathi Michelle Iyengar and Mitali Perkins, illustrators’ gallery features, and more. Enjoy them, and let us know what you think!

We’ll also be further exploring the theme of children’s book awards, here, on the blog, for the next two months, so check back often for more treats and information!

image credit: © Wen Hsu, winner of the 2009 NOMA Concours Grand Prize