There are three main times when I swear. In no particular order, when I am tired and/or mad; when I want to make a point and when something is just so fudging (only I didn’t say fudge) good. And The Boy Who Drew Cats: A Japanese Folktale by Lafcadio Hearn is one of those fudging good books.
Amazing story, amazing illustrations, amazing feeling to it, even an amazing back story of the author. Perhaps more for adults (collectors of art books, of Japanese folk tales, of folk stories in general) than kids, it is a, yes, an amazing book. I can’t express how great I think it is. It is a soft story, with an odd tension that is not uncomfortable, but makes you move along. The boldly colored, richly and busily detailed images of Anita Kreituse are as important as the text. The art of the illustrations do not just support the written word, but they are the story as well. 
The story itself is a combination of sweet, serious with a hint of lightness. That comes from the fact things can be intense (the boy is sent away from home to live in a monastery, he leaves the temple and wanders in the snow and over rickety bridges, and there is a battle scene at the end) but they are done with both a coolness and warmth to the colors and details used. We are told about the battle and not shown allowing for a multiple age reading/listening audience. Though, again I do feel it is more for the adult and older child. 
I read it via an oline readers copy but I will be getting copies of this due in mid-May 2026 title. I need to have two copies. One for collecting and one to frame the images. Of course, that might be a dozen or so as I am assuming the front and page of the pages will be covered and I wouldn’t be able to not to use them.