A cat who sleeps in an oven; an arrogant rat; a raccoon who forgets to wash his face; a dancing deer and a conversation between bears - all these and more are part of the fantastic worlds created by Kenji Miyazawa, a writer and poet who always saw what was beautiful about the world about him.
He wasn't well-known during his lifetime, and even now, his name is hardly mentioned outside Japan. But this imaginative and inventive teacher and geologist created some of the most enduring children's literature in the world. A scientist by nature, his explorations of the outdoor world became the basis of his stories. He emphasized our oneness with nature and showed a deep compassion for strangers, outsiders and the less fortunate. As one of his letters says: "We must search for true happiness for all living vreatures."
