SumoKitty

June 15, 2019
A furry feline has sumo-sized aspirations in this Japan-set tale. A stray black-and-white kitty with round emerald eyes watches a sumo match from afar and then follows a group of rikishi back to the heya, where the pickings are good. Caught by the manager of the training center, the feline narrator is offered a place to stay: "Kuma is afraid of mice. Can you get rid of them?" The arrangement hits a snag when the Kitty's weight gain affects its efficiency as a mouser and it is turned out of the heya. Dejected, Kitty gives up until Kuma quietly offers encouragement: "The cat that does not cry catches the mouse." Kuma and Kitty are shown in action side by side, showcasing their parallel use of sumo moves. Japanese terms are defined, with pronunciation guides, next to the text: "shiko (shee-koh): leg stomp." While Kitty finds the strength to reclaim its place and is deemed SumoKitty, Kuma now must face his own fear of mice in order to overcome his biggest sumo opponent. Kitty's straightforward narration is set against comically charming illustrations that evoke scenes from classic Japanese woodblock art. Extensive research is expressed in both the inclusion of Japanese terms and the detailed illustrations. However, the inclusion of the Indian spiritual practice of yoga as part of the rikishi's training regimen seems unlikely given sumo's own deeply traditional and spiritual nature. SumoKitty's antics delight despite a muffed cultural detail. (Picture book. 5-8)

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July 15, 2019
A scraggly feline stray finds himself in the right place at the right time in this picture book by Biedrzycki (Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow). He needs a steady meal source, and a sumo training quarters needs a mouse catcher—one of the star wrestlers, Kuma, is terrified of mice. When Kitty adopts the sumo eating regimen (“Each meal is a feast. Twice a day sumo wrestlers eat a big stew called chankonabe. It’s made with everything I love”) without the concomitant discipline (the mice “were all over the kitchen. And they were laughing at me”), Kitty is sent outside, “humbled.” Kuma becomes a mentor (“The cat that does not cry catches the mouse”), and Kitty inspires Kuma to triumph against the wrestler’s toughest opponent. Whether or not yoga and Zen gardens would be part of a traditional Japanese sumo wrestler’s training, pencil and watercolor vignettes offer solid visual pacing, and the thoroughly contemporary pictures weave in nods to Japanese art traditions. Another nice touch: rather than using a glossary to define the text’s sumo-related Japanese words, Biedrzycki defines them in discrete asides throughout; it feels intimate and personal, like having a simultaneous translator whispering in the reader’s ear. Ages 3–7.

August 1, 2019

K-Gr 3-A story of failure, persistence, and redemption. It is narrated by a stray kitty who has been accepted as a mouse catcher in a sumo wrestlers' heya (training camp) and offers parallel stories that illustrate the saying "fall down seven times; get up eight." Facing repeated failure, both the cat and the wrestler employ traditional sumo moves and philosophy (which readers learn about throughout) to vanquish their opponents; bold mice for the cat and the champion rikishi for the wrestler. Biedrzycki's gorgeous digital artwork evokes a mashup of traditional Japanese illustration and popular animation. Full bleed spreads depicting the heya and its inhabitants alternate with sequential panels of the action. Definitions for Japanese terms are provided out of the line of sight of the narrative. There may be some dissonance between the intended audience and readers who will be able to sit still for the book; the narrative is deceptively simple, as the spare prose goes beyond the length of an average picture book. VERDICT An expository tribute to the sumo wrestling culture, an additional purchase for most libraries.-Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence

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