The Cat Who Went To Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth, 1931

Setting: Far away Japan Time Period: Old Japan Main Characters: A poor young artist. His elderly housekeeper. Their three-colored cat, Good Fortune. Winner of the 1931 Newbery Medal. A poor artist and his housekeeper have not eaten well in a long, long time. Their clothes were threadbare and a meal of dried fish and rice would have been a feast. With their last money, the housekeeper buys a cat and calls her Good Fortune.The artist is not pleased. So when a monk from the temple commissions the poor man with a painting of the Lord Buddha, he gladly accepts and is determined to do his best.

The young man meditates on the life of Buddha and the animals who came to honor his holiness. He then paints each animal according to the goodness that the animal exibited in its life - the sacrifice of the lowly snail, the elephant's sagacity and kindness, the horse's courage and fiery spirit, the buffalo's strength and self-respect, the grace of the swan, the fidelity of the dog, the fierce love of the tiger, the timidity and gentle courage of the Banyan deer... Each time a new animal is drawn, Good Fortune contemplates on the painting as if to say, "What about me? Can't I be part of those who honor Lord Buddha?" The artist is heartbroken. How can he include the cat who, by tradition, was refused by Buddha for being haughty and proud? Finally, through compassion, the artist paints his cat in one corner of the canvas. The monks reject his painting but a miracle happens. This story, filled with noble deeds - great and small - of common animals, is perfect for the little animal-lover. The simple tale has its sad points - hunger, feelings of exclusion - but it is safe enough to read before bedtime. The final inclusion of the sad cat and the following miracle will be a delight.