I Am Tama, Lucky Cat

Many years ago, a cat went in search of food and shelter. After a long and difficult journey, she came upon a rundown temple at the foot of a majestic, snow-capped mountain. She sat in the doorway and waited with her right hand upheld, as was her custom. A monk with little more than a few grains of rice to share welcomed his feline visitor into his humble home and place of worship. Little did he know that the hungry, shivering animal he named Tama would bring him both friendship and good fortune beyond his dreams...

In a marriage of graceful text based on one of the legends of Maneki Neko beckoning cat, in early Edo Period Japan and breathtaking watercolor illustrations, debut author Wendy Henrichs and award-winning illustrator Yoshiko Jaeggi offer a beautiful story of friendship, generosity, and kindness.