Originally published in Japan & in paperback under the titleMajyo no Takkyubinby Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers, Inc., Tokyo, in 1985°°°Nostalgic fans of the Miyazaki film & newcomers alike—soar into the modern classic about a young witch & her clever cat that started it all!Half-witchKikinever 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,Kikiflies to the seaside village ofKoriko &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,Kikiforges new friendships & 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 enchantingnew translationwill inspire both new readers & dedicated fans.°°°Kiki’s Delivery Serviceis a series of stories about a girl calledKiki, the only child of a mother (who is a witch) & a father (who is not). When she turns 13, she leaves home & begins her apprenticeship in magic.Kadonogot the idea for the stories from pictures her daughter Rio drew when she was 12, featuring a witch on a broomstick. A radio hung from the broomstick, with musical notes emerging from it. The drawing sparkedKadono’simagination. “I thought it might be fun to write a story about a witch who flies around on her broomstick, listening to the radio,” she says. She remembered photographs she had seen in Life magazine as a teenager, showing a bird’s-eye view of New York from the air. “I thought, if I write a story about a witch, it will be as if I am flying too!”