About the Book: The Cat Who Went to Heaven
In ancient Japan, a struggling artist is angered when his housekeeper brings
home a tiny white cat he can barely afford to feed. But when the villages head
priest commissions a painting of the Buddha for a healthy sum, the artist
softens toward the animal he believes has brought him luck. According to legend,
the proud and haughty cat was denied the Buddhas blessing for refusing to accept
his teachings and pay him homage. So when the artist, moved by compassion for
his pet, includes the cat in his painting, the priest rejects the work and
decrees that