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Kiki's Delivery Service

(魔女の宅急便 / Kiki's Delivery Service #1)

Eiko Kadono,

Emily Balistrieri (Translator)

4.10 · Rating details · 3,276 ratings · 650 reviews

Nostalgic fans of the Miyazaki film and newcomers alike--soar into the modern classic about a young witch and her clever cat that started it all!

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 193 pages

Published July 7th 2020 by Delacorte Press (first published January 1st 1985)

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Average rating 4.10 ·

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· 3,276 ratings · 650 reviews

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Jun 30, 2020 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens-lit, asia, coming-of-age, fantasy

On sale July 7! Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:

description

Kiki’s Delivery Service, a 1985 children’s fantasy novel first published in Japanese as Majo no Takkyūbin (or “Witch’s Express Home Delivery”), is best known outside of Japan as the basis for a 1989 Studio Ghibli anime film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. In fact, the book won several prizes in Japan and Kadono has published five sequels over the years (unfortunately none of the sequels are currently available in English translations). ...more

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Sep 06, 2020 Gavin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, 2020-reads

Maybe I have over-rated Kiki's Delivery Service by giving it 5 stars, but I enjoyed this book so much when reading it.

Kiki is a young witch with a talking cat called Jiji. When she comes of age, she must set off on her broomstick to a town without witches so she can prove herself useful in a new community. She comes across Koriko, a town by the sea, and ends up using her ability to fly to deliver anything the town residents desire.

This had that cosy, magical feeling to it without being overtly ...more

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Jul 01, 2020 Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell marked it as fantasy-wishlist

OMG!!!! I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A BOOK!!!! ...more

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Dec 24, 2020 Jennie Damron rated it really liked it

What a charming, delightful book. I didn't know this was a book. I had only seen the movie which is one of my favorites. I love Kiki and her feisty cat Jiji. Leaving town for year to start her first year of training as a witch. She finds a town by the sea and meets many interesting people along the way. All the while finding out who she is and what matters most. This book was so cozy and exactly what I needed. ...more

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Nov 29, 2020 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, 2020

representation: own voices all Japanese cast.

[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]

★★★★★

THIS WAS SO WHOLESOME AND WONDERFUL AND I LOVED IT. Absolutely loved the illustrations too! Will defs reread this and read this to Amelie when she's old enough! ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Lisa (Remarkablylisa) rated it liked it

Shelves: asian-books, february-2021

Sorry this is just a little too childish for me and I'm like okay lol magic woohoo. next. ...more

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Aug 04, 2020 Lata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, bipoc-author, kids-and-ya, classic, x2020-read, bipoc-actor, auth-f

This book just made me happy. I loved the movie by Studio Ghibli, and loved how Kiki’s world was filled with nice people.
That’s mostly true in this book, and the worst one can say about the people Kiki deals with, once she moves to Koriko, is that they’re impatient and sometimes a little thoughtless.
Kiki’s totally wonderful. I love her and how she figures things out for herself, and how mostly unflappable and positive she is. Jiji is less sarcastic than all the cats I’ve ever known, but he was c ...more

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Oct 20, 2020 Ashley rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-buyers-anonymous-bought, witches, curious-fictional-creatures, fantasy-and-magic, fantasy-light, fantasy-whimsical, human-animal-bond, magic-humans-mortal, middle-grade, family

Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars

LOVED THIS A perfect book for all ages.

Cannot even compare to the Miyazaki film, but it is still great!

i ADORE Jiji! Best character in the book ;-). 🐈‍⬛🎀🧹

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Dec 18, 2012 Individualfrog rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I was living in Japan I decided to read a kid's book to help me practice reading at a level I could possibly undertake. Since I had seen and enjoyed the film, I decided on this one. (Better, I thought, than reading a translation of Harry Potter or something like that.) I thought, since I knew the story, I could better make guesses and use "context clues" (as they used to say in school) when confronted with unfamiliar vocabulary.

Little did I know that, like Miyazaki's godawful adaptation of When I was living in Japan I decided to read a kid's book to help me practice reading at a level I could possibly undertake. Since I had seen and enjoyed the film, I decided on this one. (Better, I thought, than reading a translation of Harry Potter or something like that.) I thought, since I knew the story, I could better make guesses and use "context clues" (as they used to say in school) when confronted with unfamiliar vocabulary.

Little did I know that, like Miyazaki's godawful adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle, the film only really follows the book for the first fifteen minutes or so, before going off on an entirely different course. Kadono's book is episodic, with essentially no overarching plot. Each chapter after the first two is its own little story, where Kiki delivers something and has a little adventure along the way. My favorite was when she is asked to deliver a love letter and can't contain her curiosity about it. There is a soothing rythym to her low-key misadventures; it reads more like a slice-of-life that happens to contain a little bit of magic than a fantasy novel or even a coming-of-age story.

Because of the sorry state of my Japanese, it took me a long time and much pain to read this book. I had to read with two dictionaries open and took copious notes. I'm afraid my memory of it is somewhat hazy and there were certainly passages I never grasped. Nevertheless I found it absolutely charming, and on re-watching the film afterwards I felt stirrings of the same scandalized betrayal I had watching Howl's Moving Castle. The Kiki in the movie, mopey and timid, didn't seem much like the Kiki in the book. In Kadono's original, she never loses her powers, and of course there is no zeppelin disaster derring-do. I find those things, especially the fact that Jiji never talks again, annoyingly opposed to the spirit of the book. It's not as bad as the Howl movie, but it's still a big change for the worse.

Luckily, I have finally gotten the second book, and I'm looking forward to reading it (hopefully it will be easier now), and enjoying the adorable heroine, her hilarious cat, and their quietly funny adventures. ...more

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Jan 04, 2017 jenn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was hard to track down but I'm glad I finally got it. It's a delightfully cute story-just like the movie. Too bad it's not more easily available in English. ...more

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Oct 18, 2020 Divine Anas rated it really liked it

Shelves: japanese-translated, 2020-reads, asian-reps-and-authors

This was so heartwarming and cute to read!

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Aug 25, 2020 Charles Edwards-Freshwater rated it it was amazing

As a huge fan of the Studio Ghibli film, once I found out that Kiki's Delivery Service was originally a book I had to read it straight away. Thankfully this charming little book lives up to the film's reputation and even exceeds it in some ways too.

I don't want to spend the whole review drawing comparisons between the two - the skeleton of the plot is still much the same, with Kiki being a witch, leaving home and finding a new town while setting up a delivery service in the bakery. Where the boo ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Stay Fetters rated it really liked it

“It's not really important what color your dress is. What matters is the heart inside.”

Witch stories are some of my favorite things to read. They say that you read what you know, so....

I’ve seen the Studio Ghibli movie quite some time ago but I’ll always remember it. I watched it during a time in my life where I needed a pick me up and it did just that. So reading the book meant so much more to me.

I just adore Kiki’s tale. Her story is so cute and sweet. Kiki is just a wholesome character who ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 Smitha Murthy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: translated-world-lit, asia, fiction, women-writers, favorites, children

I had heard only of the movie version, made by the amazing Studio Ghibli, and had no idea it was based on a book. Now, this recent translation has made this utterly delightful book accessible to more readers. And this should be read.

I loved everything about ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service.’ It has all the qualities I have come to love in Children’s Literature - a pinch of magical realism, humor, love, friendship, and fun adventures. Kiki is not your regular teenager - she is a witch who has to figure ...more

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Jul 24, 2020 Morgan rated it it was amazing

Such a wonderfully whimsical coming of age story.

Kiki is a young witch who is setting out on her own with her companion, and black cat named Jiji. As is the tradition for all witches' daughter at the age of 13, if they choose to follow in their mothers footsteps they must travel away from home to find a new town in need of a witch's assistance.

She comes upon the town of Koriko, that has not had a witch's presence in many years. At first the townspeople were very skeptical of her, not sure of he ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Cute, light hearted witchy story!

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Sep 06, 2020 neda✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-reads, e-book

4.5/5!! SOO GOOD💖💖

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Apr 13, 2021 Tim rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, japanese, 1980s

When Trent Reznor heard Johnny Cash's cover of his song Hurt, he is on the record with the following statement: "I listened to it and it was very strange. It was this other person inhabiting my most personal song." He has since gone on to say "I wrote it, but it's his song now." I've always found this extremely depressing in a way. What was once the most personal of his works was taken away… while it will always be his in origin, for so many they will associate it with another. I can't imagine h ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Haley rated it really liked it

This was everything I needed right now. I absolutely love the film adaptation of this book and grew up watching it as a kid. I always wanted to read the book, so when it was finally translated and published in English last year, I immediately wanted to get my hands on it.

If you want a fun, sweet time reading about a young witch and her sassy cat, pick this up right now.

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Apr 29, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: children and parents who enjoy fantasy

Shelves: fantasy, children

There're two kinds of speculative fiction: the kind that imagines people who are essentially the same as people of today, thrust into very different circumstances, and the kind that imagines that the people themselves are as different as their circumstances. It's always interesting to read a translation from a foreign country, because you often (as with Kiki's Delivery Service) can't tell which of the two it is. Kiki is a teenaged girl who's never had any romantic interest. At thirteen, she is e There're two kinds of speculative fiction: the kind that imagines people who are essentially the same as people of today, thrust into very different circumstances, and the kind that imagines that the people themselves are as different as their circumstances. It's always interesting to read a translation from a foreign country, because you often (as with Kiki's Delivery Service) can't tell which of the two it is. Kiki is a teenaged girl who's never had any romantic interest. At thirteen, she is expected to make her own way in the world, without any support from family. Her relationship with her family is very formal, including that she calls her parents by their first names. When she was a child, she decided to follow in her mom's tradition and became a witch with a flying broom and a talking cat. Which of these is complete fantasy, and which were considered normal for the original Japanese audience?

If this was a book written for English-speaking people, it would probably present Kiki as a child with whom the reader identifies, and it would be clear that she was a "normal" kid with extraordinary circumstances. In other words, she'd be either an orphan or with one or both parents absent, and at least some parts of the book would deal with her feelings of loneliness and resentment at being thrust out into the world by herself. Having read a lot of children's fiction this past year, I have to say I find this book absolutely refreshing in that it has none of that. While Kiki's interactions with her parents seem stilted and distant, they're both there, and she never rails against their treatment of her or busts out with rebellious attitudes. It isn't even that she's accepting of her fate, but rather that what she is doing - leaving home at the insistence of her family, going to live alone in the city - is completely normal. What a breath of fresh air! Clearly I should be reading more foreign children's books interspersed with all these domestic ones.

First of all, the book's concept seems to be inspired by a Federal Express (FedEx) style business in Japan, which uses a black cat carrying a kitten in its mouth as its logo. The black cat/witch connection is obvious, and so the author probably thought "That makes me think of a witch. Wouldn't a witch be the perfect one to deliver packages?"

Kiki and her anthropomorphic talking cat Jiji go to live in a coastal city by broom, flying being the only witch lore that Kiki has been able to master. She then sets up as an express delivery service, and most of the book involves deliveries she's sent to make. The coming-of-age ritual here is less a ritual than a milestone (ready to be a witch? OK, then please leave, and don't come back), in which she has to find a town, village or city without a resident witch, set up shop, and make a living for a full year. Beyond this set-up, the book is a series of vignettes detailing noteworthy events during that year. There's very little sense of time passing, and so it's surprising whenever the seasons are mentioned ("Oh, they're talking about spring coming soon, so it must already be winter now"). The vignettes are cute and whimsical, such as when Kiki helps to deliver the new year (by ensuring that the town clock rings midnight on New Year's Eve): a gear is broken on the town clock, and the repairman is missing the replacement. So the mayor sends Kiki to steal the gear from a neighboring town's clock. She flies to this other city, thinks better of stealing the gear from their clock, but then returns to her city to manually wind the clock, flying on her broom (rather than, say, ask the neighbors if they have a replacement she could use). The constant is that, whatever issue or problem arises, every solution has to directly involve flying on the broom.

It would be interesting to know whether all the sequels to this book (there are five more books in the series) involve Kiki rediscovering the lost witch lore. There's a hint in that direction in this first book - she grows wistful that she didn't learn her mother's herbal craft, which is the only other witch lore that hasn't been "lost" - but my imagining that the rest of the books would naturally involve her growing in power and capabilities is clearly coming from my English-speaking, United States perspective, in which fantasy characters develop primarily through enhancing their abilities.

Finally, the film: I'm glad I saw the movie before reading the book, both because books always provide more detail which allows me to distinguish them more easily and appreciate them even with the impressions made by the filmmaker's vision, and also because I did the reverse with "Howl's Moving Castle" (another children's book adapted into film by Hayao Miyazaki), and found the movie incredibly lacking as a result (it's my least favorite of all the Studio Ghibli movies, by far). I'm reasonably sure I would've had a similar reaction had I read Kiki's Delivery Service before watching it. ...more

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Nov 09, 2020 Katie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: on-overdrive-fairfax, rating-5-stars, genre-fantasy, books-that-are-rated-highly, has-middle-grade-fiction-elements, books-that-are-very-short

This was one of my very favorite movies growing up (and honestly still is) - and the book did not let me down. I never knew there was a book to be honest, but it was so pleasant and calming - it gave me the same joy as watching the movie does.

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Jan 20, 2021 Ashes rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cats

Cute, but I expected something better.

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Sep 06, 2020 Pixi Jo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: oh-yes-please, fantasy-magicks, japanese-or-close-enough, feel-good-fluffy, healing, perfection, slice-of-life, happy-to-be-a-kiddo-book, short-ish-story, so-cute

Oh!!!
Did not expect this!!!

My Backstory quickly:
In my younger years I watched the Studio Ghibli movie 'Kiki's Delivery Service' (both in English and in Japanese, (I can't say which is best, I'll leave it up to you to try them and decide for yourself!).
But I was blown away!
The art, the cute characters, the story...! My oh my!
So I've been wanting to read the book it was based on forever and a day! But yeah... it's not exactly all over the place this side of the world...Then ebooks came in and wha ...more

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Jul 15, 2020 M. [storme reads a lot] rated it really liked it

I adore how this reminded me of childhood and watching the movie. Yes, it is different. But I still enjoyed the nostalgia and the story. It is a quick read, but I thought it was very well done. I could imagine this being popular with fans of the movie, those who love middle grade, and just anyone who wants a cute story.

Kiki has turned thirteen, and it is time for her to leave and see the world. Along with her cat, Jiji, she sets off to a find a town that does not have witch. The town she find i ...more

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May 08, 2020 Lea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, illustrated

I've watched the movie based off this book more times than I can remember so, to receive an advanced copy of the newest English edition...my inner child is still squealing!

What is there to say about this lovely book? It's the most adorable middle-grade novel I've read. Kiki's adventures are so fun and the story is well put together. And, of course, Jiji is just the best witchy cat around :)

I may be a bit biased and overcome with nostalgia, but seriously...best book I've picked up in awhile! ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) rated it really liked it

Oh wow! This book! Ok, I made the purchase because the cover showed a black cat - I have a black cat so I needed a book about a black cat. Logically.

Guess what? I would have loved it anyway! It’s a sweet coming of age story about a young witch (a good one) named Kiki. Her kitty is named Jiji. It’s such a sweet story.

Best part is I had no idea the book was also a movie. I also just found out there is a ton of Jiji (the black cat) merchandise. I’m in big trouble 😉

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Sep 25, 2020 Amber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, middle-grade, audiobooks

Ok this is probably a super biased review because Hayao Miyazaki's adaption of Kiki's Delivery Service is my favorite Studio Ghibli film, but I absolutely adored this!

I could comfort read this again and again!

...more

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Dec 04, 2020 Isa Lavinia rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: boring, children-mg, disappointment, adventure

I don't know why but this just didn't work for me, the writing is pretty clunky so the translation is probably at fault. ...more

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Feb 14, 2021 Josefine Slot rated it really liked it

Books are apparently my oxygen this year

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Jul 03, 2020 Allie rated it really liked it

Shelves: audience-children, genre-sff, fiction, in-translation, place-asia, arcs-giveaways, kids-middle-grade, kids-intermediate, place-japan

This rating/review is based on an advanced copy from Netgalley and Delacorte Press.

3.5 stars, rounded up because it's very charming. The story is super gentle and it would be a really good family read aloud. Basically Kiki comes of age, moves to a new town, and opens a delivery business. She learns some lessons and flies around. I'm guessing more things happen in subsequent books, but also maybe not! I had a conversation about which section to put this book in (general fiction vs. science-fictio ...more

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About Eiko Kadono

Eiko Kadono

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Eiko Kadono (角野栄子) is a Japanese author of children's literature, picture books, non-fiction and essays in Shōwa and Heisei period Japan. Kadono was born in Tokyo, and attended the Nihon Fukushi University in Aichi prefecture, followed by a degree in English literature from Waseda University. After graduation in 1960 at the age of 25, she emigrated to Brazil, where she spent two years. She wrote ...more

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魔女の宅急便 / Kiki's Delivery Service (10 books)

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“Stop trying. Take long walks. Look at scenery. Doze off at noon. Don't even think about flying. And then, pretty soon, you'll be flying again.” — 6 likes

“Kiki don't get too hung up on appearances, it's your heart that's important” — 0 likes

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Kiki's Delivery Service

(魔女の宅急便 / Kiki's Delivery Service #1)

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