Wabi Sabi, a little cat in Kyoto, Japan, had never thought much about her name until friends visiting from another land asked her owner what it meant.

At last, the master says, "That's hard to explain." And that is all she says.

This unsatisfying answer sets Wabi Sabi on a journey to uncover the meaning of her name, and on the way discovers what wabi sabi is: a Japanese philosophy of seeing beauty in simplicity, the ordinary, and imperfection.

Using spare text and haiku, Mark Reibstein weaves an extraordinary story about finding real beauty in unexpected places. Caldecott Medal-winning artist Ed Young complements the lyrical text with breathtaking collages. Together, they illustrate the unique world view that is wabi sabi. Wabi Sabi is a unique picture book that clearly explains a new way of seeing the world to readers.

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Picture Book - Older Reader category by the California Young Reader Medal. It was recognised by the West Virginia Children's Book Award. It also was recognised in the Ages 7-10 Years category by the Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens. It was recognised in the Fiction Picture Book category by the Cybils Award. The Cybils Awards is a group of readers passionate about seeking out and recognizing books that represent diversity, inclusion, and appropriate representation for children and teens. To accomplish that goal, the Cybils Awards works to recognize books written for children and young adults that combine both the highest literary merit and popular appeal. Also it was recognised in the Ages 6+ category by the Nappa Gold Award.

There are 48 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2008 by Little, Brown & Company .

Barbara DaCosta's first collaboration with Ed Young, Nighttime Ninja , won the Children's Choice Award. She makes her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mark Reibstein is an English teacher and writer who has lived in New York, California, Hawaii, Japan, and Thailand. Now he lives with his good friend Arlo, who is also a cat. Ed Young has illustrated for over 70 books and has been awarded the Caldecott Medal for Lon Po Po.