The cat that lived a million times

Global sales exceeded 3 million copies
A classic picture book that will make you cry a million times if you read it a million times
Yoko Sano's representative works, a picture book writer who breaks the barriers between adults and children

There was a cat who died a million times, lived a million times, and was loved by a million people. Each time he died, his owner wept bitterly for him. But this cat, who had lived a million times, never cried once. He had never loved anyone. Once, he became a true wild cat, living a free life, enjoying the admiration of other cats. That is until he finally met a white cat he loved. And for the first time, he fell in love with someone else...

"The Cat Who Lived a Million Times" is Yoko Sano's most popular picture book. Since its publication in 1977, it has been a worldwide hit, selling over three million copies. Even after more than four decades, its appeal remains undiminished. The story of this cat who has lived a million times, his tsundere image, and his journey of joy and sorrow when he finally experiences love, is deeply moving.

Through simple and plain words, refined images and extraordinary storytelling, Yoko Sano tells the mysteries of life about life, death and love in just 32 pages, which makes people never get tired of reading it a million times.

Positive reviews

Recommended by Zhang Shuqiong (President of the Parent-Child World Children's Reading Research Institute), Huang Aizhen (Chairman of the Tainan City Smart Forest Children's Reading Culture Association), Cai Cande (well-known artist), and Lin Xiaoying, the author of "I Write, Therefore I Am."

The Cat Who Lived a Million Times is recognized worldwide as the picture book that most eloquently captures the true meaning of love! Using her imagination, Yoko Sano transforms her deepest desires into a beautiful story that has touched the hearts of millions. — Gao Mingmei (Director of Bubu Publishing)
In the first half of the story, the cat loves itself, which is very important. We need to learn to love ourselves first. At the end of the story, the cat learns to love others, which is also very important. We need to learn to love others. - Zhang Shuqiong (President of the Parent-Child World Children's Reading Research Institute)
To understand the meaning of love, living once is enough. —Huang Aizhen (Chairman of the Tainan City Wisdom Forest Children's Reading Culture Association)
The cat who lived a million times finally knew love. I don't know how many times you and I have lived, but at least in this picture book, I felt the hard-earned love. - Cai Cande (famous artist)

(The above are arranged according to the number of strokes of the name)

Yoko Sano

Born in Beijing in 1938, he lived a comfortable life in a traditional courtyard house. After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University, his father moved to mainland China and worked in the Manchurian Railway's Research Department, conducting research in rural China and becoming a pioneer in cultural anthropology. Yoko never forgot this idyllic life, and her admiration for her father remained undiminished throughout her life.

After Japan's defeat in World War II, she was repatriated to Japan at the age of nine. Living in poverty, she worked part-time to complete her design studies at Musashino Art University in Japan. She also studied lithographing at the University of Geometrics in Berlin, Germany. Her early poverty shaped her into a life of work, a lifelong writer. Besides picture books, she also contributed to a wide range of fields, including prose, fairy tales, criticism, and translation. Her picture books and prose have garnered numerous awards in Japan, and in 2003, she was awarded the Order with Purple Ribbon by the Cabinet Office for her special contributions to art and culture. In 2008, she received the Taketani Kowa Literary Prize in recognition of her long-term creative work as a picture book writer.

Lin Zhenmei

She holds a Master's degree in Childhood Studies from Ochanomizu University in Japan. She began promoting parent-child reading clubs (Little Big Reading Clubs) in Taiwan in 1992 and has translated over 100 classic picture books. She currently teaches part-time at a university, offering courses in children's literature and culture.