Kiki's Delivery Service

Front Cover
Annick Press, 2003 - Juvenile Fiction - 164 pages

A lovely story that became a classic in Japan and a popular animated home video throughout North America.

Kiki is a resourceful, spunky girl who follows her maternal tradition to be a witch. She possesses only one gift of witchcraft -- the power to fly. Like all young witches, she sets out at age 12 to find a town of her own. With her ever-present companion Jiji -- a cynical and faithful black cat -- Kiki departs on her broomstick and arrives at a big town near the ocean. Though nervous at first, she soon sets up a business delivering packages.

Kiki meets all kinds of people and has many adventures. She befriends the thief who stole her broomstick and saves the town's traditional New Year's marathon with some courageous and timely flying.

Throughout, Kiki's confidence and self-awareness grows as she learns to value her unique talents. And with Kiki's help, the townspeople realize that everyone has some magic that gives them their own special character and vitality.

This is a charming and delightful tale that is reminiscent of children's favorites The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy and Astrid Lindgren's Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. Black and white line drawings sprinkled throughout reveal the humor and warmth in everything Kiki does.

 

Contents

Bells in the Treetops
11
A New Witchs Broom
15
Kiki in the Big City
23
Kiki Opens for Business
45
The Broom Thief
63
Kiki in the Doldrums
79
Kiki Shares a Secret
95
Kiki to the Captains Rescue
111
Kiki Rings in the New Year
125
Kiki Carries the Sounds of Spring
139
Kiki Goes Home
151
Copyright

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About the author (2003)

Eiko Kadono is a Japanese children's book author. She is the author of numerous books. Her most famous work is Kiki's Delivery Service. It was developed into a series and adapted into an animated film. She is the winner of the 2018 Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing. Her work has made an important and lasting contribution to children's literature.

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