If you are familiar with Japanese picture books, you may know that Chirri and Chirra, In the Night is merely the latest (eighth!) entry in the delightful series from author and illustrator Kaya Doi. Translated by David Boyd, this sweet little book is an ode to the magic that nighttime can bring.

Chirri and Chirra are identical apple cheeked girls who ride their bicycles from one adventure to another. In this installment, the girls hear flute and drum music coming from the forest. Arriving after night has fallen, they find a drink stall manned by two black cats! The cats prepare them full moon sodas, so delicious that they drink one after the other. But there is magic in the sodas: Chirri and Chirra have turned into adorable cat girls!

The cats have another surprise in store in the from of flower necklaces, which serve double duty as tickets to a Full Moon Festival deep in the forest. There are booths with unusual food and toys, and Chirri and Charri exchange flowers from their necklaces for funny masks and light up yo-yos. There are animal crackers that come to life, and a band leading a parade. At a round lake in a clearing, the cats show the girls how to turn their flower necklaces into flowerworks! It is a lovely moonlit night indeed.

This book is perfect for preschoolers. It is sweet and gentle, with soft illustrations and adorable animals. There are all sorts of details that would appeal to cat lovers of all ages. Chirra and Chirra, In the Night is in good company with the many children’s books that feature magical travels into fantasy lands.

Title:  Chirri & Chirra, In the Night

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi

Translated from Japanese by David Boyd

Enchanted Lion Books, 2022

Originally published by Alicekan, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-59270-384-5

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Reviews: Kirkus, School Library Journal, Youth Services Book Review

Klem-Marí Cajigas has been with Nashville Public Library since 2012, after more than a decade of academic training in Religious Studies and Ministry. As the Family Literacy Coordinator for Bringing Books to Life!, Nashville Public Library’s award-winning early literacy outreach program, she delivers family literacy workshops to a diverse range of local communities. In recognition of her work, she was named a 2021 Library Journal “Mover and Shaker.” Born in Puerto Rico, Klem-Marí is bilingual, bicultural, and proudly Boricua.