Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan

Rating:
Summary: One Wise Cat
Review: "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.

Rating:
Summary: Will utterly fascinate and thoroughly delight young readers
Review: 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.