Kiki's Delivery Service

The classic that inspired the beloved animated film

By: Eiko Kadono, Emily Balistrieri - translator

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest

Read the modern classic about a young witch and her clever cat that started it all! Nostalgic fans of the Hayao Miyazaki film, Kiki's Delivery Service and newcomers alike will love this exciting new translation of the beloved fantasy story.

"A gentle story of magic-tinged independence."—The Wall Street Journal

Half-witch Kiki never runs from a challenge. So when her thirteenth birthday arrives, she's eager to follow a witch's tradition: choose a new town to call home for one year.

Brimming with confidence, Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places.

Blending fantasy with the charm of everyday life, this enchanting new translation will inspire both new readers and dedicated fans.

Critic reviews

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"A gentle story of magic-tinged independence." —The Wall Street Journal

"A fantastical story of a charming witch. . . . [that] offers a glimpse into a few aspects of Japanese culture.... This new translation is perfect." —School Library Journal

"Descriptive and whimsical, and both characters’ names and their appearances in Onoda’s anime-inflected illustrations create a Japanese-inspired fantasy world. The characters’ quirkiness creates the feeling that Kiki’s future will be filled with countless friends and adventures . . . An enchanting, gently humorous all-ages family read-aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews

"Kadono's endearing, encouraging novel memorably shows that though the new can be scary, it can also be wonderful and make one a better person." —Booklist

Book bag movie

I was glad to read the book but I definitely enjoyed seeing the movie better.

Great way to emerge into Kikis’ universe

I would recommend this book to anyone who loved the animated film. It’s worth it, storyline is quite different which made it much more fun to listen to.

A magical experience

I’ve never read this book before, only saw the studio ghibli movie and I have to say this makes me love the story even more. It took me a while to get use to the voice actress narrating but after a while I loved the different voices she did and it made the whole experience more enjoyable!

Cute

A sweet light hearted fantasy. Would be a good one for children of all ages!

Loved

Such a cute story coming of age story about a young witch who travels to a new town with her cat, starts her own business, and makes new friends along the way. I love the Studio Ghibli movie as well.