About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherPenguin Publishing Group

ISBN-100593852699

ISBN-139780593852699

eBay Product ID (ePID)28068283272

Product Key Features

Original LanguageJapanese

Book TitleBlanket Cats

Number of Pages272 Pages

LanguageEnglish

TopicAnimals, Family Life, Literary

Publication Year2025

GenreFiction

AuthorKiyoshi Shigematsu

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.9 in

Item Weight11 Oz

Item Length7.9 in

Item Width5.4 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

TitleLeadingThe

ReviewsOne of Storizen ''s Must-Read Japanese Translations of 2025 "[A] slice-of-life masterpiece . . . Tinged with magical elements, the stories reveal truths about the human experience, from childhood to old age and every stage in between . . . Often sad, sometimes explosive, and always emotionally raw, these stories reflect the weight borne by many people every day." -- Shelf Awareness "Delightfully different." -- PEOPLE "Amidst a markedly growing genre of cozy feline-themed fiction, Shigematsu''s tales [noticeably] diverge from tidy, feel-good endings. [It] is what unmistakably enhances the lingering poignancy of these resonating stories." -- Booklist (starred review) "Shigematsu adds depth and intrigue by avoiding sentimentality, so that when a story does contain a happy ending or a moment of comfort for the characters, it feels genuine. Fans of ''healing fiction''. . . will find much to enjoy." -- Publishers Weekly "Utterly charming. Like many animal-centered books, The Blanket Cats is actually an exploration of messy humans, and Kiyoshi Shigematsu treats with care the uncomfortable truths that often surface when we dare to interrogate our issues. Seven Blanket Cat customers are not enough. I would read a hundred of these stories." -- Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures "What I found most striking about The Blanket Cats is how Shigematsu masterfully contrasts the comforting imagery of cats nestled in blankets with the weight of real-life struggles. This is far from a simple feel-good story; its warmth feels earned, offering solace without slipping into sentimentality. In keeping with the current trend of "healing fiction," Kirkwood''s translation beautifully preserves the delicate balance between the book''s gentle charm and the real-world complexities it touches on." -- E. Madison Shimoda, translator of We''ll Prescribe You a Cat "A breath of fresh air in the genre of healing fiction. Boldly exploring the grey areas and struggles of life . . . it left me feeling hopeful that a small step in the right direction is what it takes to make things better." -- Shanna Tan, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop "Moving between tender sentimentality to deft, often cutting insightfulness through a series of artfully arranged vignettes, The Blanket Cats is a triumph. Seven cats go home with seven new owners for a strict period of three days and two nights, upending seven lives rife with complexity and consequence. Resulting from these unexpected, often messy encounters is a profound image: a kind of knowledge about our human need to be needed that one can''t fully understand without having owned a pet, whether for three days or for a lifetime." -- Jinwoo Chong, award-winning author of Flux and I Leave It Up to You "Sweet and tender and hopeful, The Blanket Cats r eads like a Matt Haig novel for cat-lovers. I was completely and totally charmed by it." -- Annie Hartnett, author of Unlikely Animals "A cozy must-read for cat lovers, these seven stories by Kiyoshi Shigematsu have been rendered masterfully into English by translator Jesse Kirkwood, who brings each unique feline to life, quirks and all. The Blanket Cats is an endearing book that meowed its way into my heart, curled up, and refused to leave. I am now eagerly hoping for more." -- Slin Jung, translator of The Rainfall Market "There''s more to the mysterious Blanket Cats than meets the eye. Shigematsu''s canny felines are adept at bringing clarity to their temporary owners and giving them a subtle nudge in another -- often unexpected -- direction." -- Cat Anderson, translator of upcoming The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen "The heartbreaking stories in The Blanket Cats will touch you if you venture to try them." -- Lesa''s Book Critiques, "Moving between tender sentimentality to deft, often cutting insightfulness through a series of artfully arranged vignettes, The Blanket Cats is a triumph. Seven cats go home with seven new owners for a strict period of three days and two nights, upending seven lives rife with complexity and consequence. Resulting from these unexpected, often messy encounters is a profound image: a kind of knowledge about our human need to be needed that one can't fully understand without having owned a pet, whether for three days or for a lifetime." -- Jinwoo Chong, award-winning author of Flux and I Leave It Up to You, "Shigematsu adds depth and intrigue by avoiding sentimentality, so that when a story does contain a happy ending or a moment of comfort for the characters, it feels genuine. Fans of 'healing fiction'. . . will find much to enjoy." -- Publishers Weekly "Utterly charming. Like many animal-centered books, The Blanket Cats is actually an exploration of messy humans, and Kiyoshi Shigematsu treats with care the uncomfortable truths that often surface when we dare to interrogate our issues. Seven Blanket Cat customers are not enough. I would read a hundred of these stories." -- Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures "What I found most striking about The Blanket Cats is how Shigematsu masterfully contrasts the comforting imagery of cats nestled in blankets with the weight of real-life struggles. This is far from a simple feel-good story; its warmth feels earned, offering solace without slipping into sentimentality. In keeping with the current trend of "healing fiction," Kirkwood's translation beautifully preserves the delicate balance between the book's gentle charm and the real-world complexities it touches on." -- E. Madison Shimoda, translator of We'll Prescribe You a Cat "A breath of fresh air in the genre of healing fiction. Boldly exploring the grey areas and struggles of life . . . it left me feeling hopeful that a small step in the right direction is what it takes to make things better." -- Shanna Tan, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop "Moving between tender sentimentality to deft, often cutting insightfulness through a series of artfully arranged vignettes, The Blanket Cats is a triumph. Seven cats go home with seven new owners for a strict period of three days and two nights, upending seven lives rife with complexity and consequence. Resulting from these unexpected, often messy encounters is a profound image: a kind of knowledge about our human need to be needed that one can't fully understand without having owned a pet, whether for three days or for a lifetime." -- Jinwoo Chong, award-winning author of Flux and I Leave It Up to You "Sweet and tender and hopeful, The Blanket Cats r eads like a Matt Haig novel for cat-lovers. I was completely and totally charmed by it." -- Annie Hartnett, author of Unlikely Animals "A cozy must-read for cat lovers, these seven stories by Kiyoshi Shigematsu have been rendered masterfully into English by translator Jesse Kirkwood, who brings each unique feline to life, quirks and all. The Blanket Cats is an endearing book that meowed its way into my heart, curled up, and refused to leave. I am now eagerly hoping for more." -- Slin Jung, translator of The Rainfall Market "There's more to the mysterious Blanket Cats than meets the eye. Shigematsu's canny felines are adept at bringing clarity to their temporary owners and giving them a subtle nudge in another -- often unexpected -- direction." -- Cat Anderson, translator of upcoming The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen, "Utterly charming. Like many animal-centered books, The Blanket Cats is actually an exploration of messy humans, and Kiyoshi Shigematsu treats with care the uncomfortable truths that often surface when we dare to interrogate our issues. Seven Blanket Cat customers are not enough. I would read a hundred of these stories." -- Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures "What I found most striking about The Blanket Cats is how Shigematsu masterfully contrasts the comforting imagery of cats nestled in blankets with the weight of real-life struggles. This is far from a simple feel-good story; its warmth feels earned, offering solace without slipping into sentimentality. In keeping with the current trend of "healing fiction," Kirkwood's translation beautifully preserves the delicate balance between the book's gentle charm and the real-world complexities it touches on." -- E. Madison Shimoda, translator of We'll Prescribe You a Cat "A breath of fresh air in the genre of healing fiction. Boldly exploring the grey areas and struggles of life . . . it left me feeling hopeful that a small step in the right direction is what it takes to make things better." -- Shanna Tan, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop "Moving between tender sentimentality to deft, often cutting insightfulness through a series of artfully arranged vignettes, The Blanket Cats is a triumph. Seven cats go home with seven new owners for a strict period of three days and two nights, upending seven lives rife with complexity and consequence. Resulting from these unexpected, often messy encounters is a profound image: a kind of knowledge about our human need to be needed that one can't fully understand without having owned a pet, whether for three days or for a lifetime." -- Jinwoo Chong, award-winning author of Flux and I Leave It Up to You "A cozy must-read for cat lovers, these seven stories by Kiyoshi Shigematsu have been rendered masterfully into English by translator Jesse Kirkwood, who brings each unique feline to life, quirks and all. The Blanket Cats is an endearing book that meowed its way into my heart, curled up, and refused to leave. I am now eagerly hoping for more." -- Slin Jung, translator of The Rainfall Market "There's more to the mysterious Blanket Cats than meets the eye. Shigematsu's canny felines are adept at bringing clarity to their temporary owners and giving them a subtle nudge in another -- often unexpected -- direction." -- Cat Anderson, translator of upcoming The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen, "Amidst a markedly growing genre of cozy feline-themed fiction, Shigematsu's tales [noticeably] diverge from tidy, feel-good endings. [It] is what unmistakably enhances the lingering poignancy of these resonating stories." -- Booklist (starred review) "Shigematsu adds depth and intrigue by avoiding sentimentality, so that when a story does contain a happy ending or a moment of comfort for the characters, it feels genuine. Fans of 'healing fiction'. . . will find much to enjoy." -- Publishers Weekly "Utterly charming. Like many animal-centered books, The Blanket Cats is actually an exploration of messy humans, and Kiyoshi Shigematsu treats with care the uncomfortable truths that often surface when we dare to interrogate our issues. Seven Blanket Cat customers are not enough. I would read a hundred of these stories." -- Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures "What I found most striking about The Blanket Cats is how Shigematsu masterfully contrasts the comforting imagery of cats nestled in blankets with the weight of real-life struggles. This is far from a simple feel-good story; its warmth feels earned, offering solace without slipping into sentimentality. In keeping with the current trend of "healing fiction," Kirkwood's translation beautifully preserves the delicate balance between the book's gentle charm and the real-world complexities it touches on." -- E. Madison Shimoda, translator of We'll Prescribe You a Cat "A breath of fresh air in the genre of healing fiction. Boldly exploring the grey areas and struggles of life . . . it left me feeling hopeful that a small step in the right direction is what it takes to make things better." -- Shanna Tan, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop "Moving between tender sentimentality to deft, often cutting insightfulness through a series of artfully arranged vignettes, The Blanket Cats is a triumph. Seven cats go home with seven new owners for a strict period of three days and two nights, upending seven lives rife with complexity and consequence. Resulting from these unexpected, often messy encounters is a profound image: a kind of knowledge about our human need to be needed that one can't fully understand without having owned a pet, whether for three days or for a lifetime." -- Jinwoo Chong, award-winning author of Flux and I Leave It Up to You "Sweet and tender and hopeful, The Blanket Cats r eads like a Matt Haig novel for cat-lovers. I was completely and totally charmed by it." -- Annie Hartnett, author of Unlikely Animals "A cozy must-read for cat lovers, these seven stories by Kiyoshi Shigematsu have been rendered masterfully into English by translator Jesse Kirkwood, who brings each unique feline to life, quirks and all. The Blanket Cats is an endearing book that meowed its way into my heart, curled up, and refused to leave. I am now eagerly hoping for more." -- Slin Jung, translator of The Rainfall Market "There's more to the mysterious Blanket Cats than meets the eye. Shigematsu's canny felines are adept at bringing clarity to their temporary owners and giving them a subtle nudge in another -- often unexpected -- direction." -- Cat Anderson, translator of upcoming The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen, "Delightfully different." -- PEOPLE "Amidst a markedly growing genre of cozy feline-themed fiction, Shigematsu's tales [noticeably] diverge from tidy, feel-good endings. [It] is what unmistakably enhances the lingering poignancy of these resonating stories." -- Booklist (starred review) "Shigematsu adds depth and intrigue by avoiding sentimentality, so that when a story does contain a happy ending or a moment of comfort for the characters, it feels genuine. Fans of 'healing fiction'. . . will find much to enjoy." -- Publishers Weekly "Utterly charming. Like many animal-centered books, The Blanket Cats is actually an exploration of messy humans, and Kiyoshi Shigematsu treats with care the uncomfortable truths that often surface when we dare to interrogate our issues. Seven Blanket Cat customers are not enough. I would read a hundred of these stories." -- Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures "What I found most striking about The Blanket Cats is how Shigematsu masterfully contrasts the comforting imagery of cats nestled in blankets with the weight of real-life struggles. This is far from a simple feel-good story; its warmth feels earned, offering solace without slipping into sentimentality. In keeping with the current trend of "healing fiction," Kirkwood's translation beautifully preserves the delicate balance between the book's gentle charm and the real-world complexities it touches on." -- E. Madison Shimoda, translator of We'll Prescribe You a Cat "A breath of fresh air in the genre of healing fiction. Boldly exploring the grey areas and struggles of life . . . it left me feeling hopeful that a small step in the right direction is what it takes to make things better." -- Shanna Tan, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop "Moving between tender sentimentality to deft, often cutting insightfulness through a series of artfully arranged vignettes, The Blanket Cats is a triumph. Seven cats go home with seven new owners for a strict period of three days and two nights, upending seven lives rife with complexity and consequence. Resulting from these unexpected, often messy encounters is a profound image: a kind of knowledge about our human need to be needed that one can't fully understand without having owned a pet, whether for three days or for a lifetime." -- Jinwoo Chong, award-winning author of Flux and I Leave It Up to You "Sweet and tender and hopeful, The Blanket Cats r eads like a Matt Haig novel for cat-lovers. I was completely and totally charmed by it." -- Annie Hartnett, author of Unlikely Animals "A cozy must-read for cat lovers, these seven stories by Kiyoshi Shigematsu have been rendered masterfully into English by translator Jesse Kirkwood, who brings each unique feline to life, quirks and all. The Blanket Cats is an endearing book that meowed its way into my heart, curled up, and refused to leave. I am now eagerly hoping for more." -- Slin Jung, translator of The Rainfall Market "There's more to the mysterious Blanket Cats than meets the eye. Shigematsu's canny felines are adept at bringing clarity to their temporary owners and giving them a subtle nudge in another -- often unexpected -- direction." -- Cat Anderson, translator of upcoming The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen "The heartbreaking stories in The Blanket Cats will touch you if you venture to try them." -- Lesa's Book Critiques

Dewey Edition23

Dewey Decimal895.636

Synopsis"Utterly charming . . . I would read a hundred of these stories." --Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures Seven struggling customers are given the unique opportunity to take home a "blanket cat" . . . but only for three days, the time it'll take to change their lives. A peculiar pet shop in Tokyo has been known to offer customers the unique opportunity to take home one of seven special cats, whose "magic" is never promised, but always received. But there are rules: these cats must be returned after three days. They must eat only the food supplied by the owner, and they must travel to their new homes with a distinctive blanket. In The Blanket Cats , we meet seven customers, each of whom is hoping a temporary feline companion will help them escape a certain reality, including a couple struggling with infertility, a middle-aged woman on the run from the police, and two families in very different circumstances simply seeking joy. But like all their kind, the "blanket cats" are mysterious creatures with unknowable agendas, who delight in confounding expectations. And perhaps what their hosts are looking for isn't really what they need. Three days may not be enough to change a life. But it might just change how you see it.