Wabi Sabi

The award-winning and New York Times bestselling book about a cat named Wabi Sabi who searches for the meaning of her name

Wabi Sabi, a little cat in Kyoto, Japan, had never thought much about her name until friends visiting from another land asked her owner what it meant.

At last, the master says, "That's hard to explain." And
That is all she says.

This unsatisfying answer sets Wabi Sabi on a journey to uncover the meaning of her name, and on the way discovers what wabi sabi is: a Japanese philosophy of seeing beauty in simplicity, the ordinary, and the imperfect.

Using spare text and haiku, Mark Reibstein weaves an extraordinary story about finding real beauty in unexpected places. Caldecott Medal-winning artist Ed Young complements the lyrical text with breathtaking collages. Together, they illustrate the unique world view that is wabi sabi.

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book for 2008

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 10/01/2008
ISBN: 9780316118255
Pages: 40
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 11.20h x 11.20w x 0.40d
Award: NAPPA Gold Awards - Special Recognition
Award: Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens - Recommended
Award: West Virginia Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: California Young Reader Medal - Nominee
Award: Cybils - Finalist

Review Citations: School Library Journal 09/01/2008 pg. 157
Booklist 09/01/2008 pg. 98
Kirkus Review - Children 09/15/2008 pg. 1014
New York Times Book Review 11/09/2008 pg. 35
New York Times Book Review 12/07/2008 pg. 54
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2009 pg. 83
Booklist Ed Choice Youth 01/01/2009 pg. 16
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2009
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2009 pg. 39 - Recommended, Satisfactory

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 126348 / Wabi Sabi
Reading Level: 4.5 / Interest Level: Lower Grade / Point Value: 0.5