The Cat Who Went to Heaven is a 1930 novel by Elizabeth Coatsworth that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1931. The story is set in ancient Japan, and is about a penniless artist and a calico cat his housekeeper brings home. The storyline is supposedly based on an old Buddhist folk tale, and includes, as asides, a short telling of the Buddha's life, and brief accounts of some of the Buddha's previous lifetimes as animals, as in the Jataka tales. At the end of each of the eight chapters is one of the housekeeper's songs, her insightful commentary on what... is happening. A impoverished Japanese painter sends his housekeeper out with a few small coins to buy food. Instead, she brings home a cat from the dock, stating that the house is "lonely". The painter is initially very unhappy with this choice, as he is hungry. He remarks that he can't even remember what rice cakes taste like, and states that cats are devils. However, he is somewhat consoled when he notices that the cat's white coat actually has three colors, which is considered lucky.
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| Author: | Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth |
| Genre: | Children's literature |
| Year published: | 1930 |
| Number of editions: | 15 |