Kiki's Delivery Service (novel) facts for kids
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Japanese book cover
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| Author | Eiko Kadono |
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| Original title | 魔女の宅急便 Majo no Takkyūbin |
| Translator | Lynne E. Riggs |
| Illustrator | Akiko Hayashi |
| Cover artist | Akiko Hayashi |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Series | Majo no Takkyūbin |
| Genre | Children's, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Fukuinkan Shoten |
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Publication date
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January 25, 1985 |
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Published in English
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February 1, 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 259 pp |
| ISBN | 4-8340-0119-9 |
| OCLC | 166865908 |
| LC Class | MLCSJ 86/174 (P) |
| Followed by | Majo no Takkyūbin 2: Kiki to Atarashii Mahou (Kiki's Delivery Service 2: Kiki and Her New Magic) |
Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便, Majo no Takkyūbin, lit. Witch's Express Home Delivery) is a popular children's fantasy novel. It was written by Eiko Kadono and illustrated by Akiko Hayashi. The book was first released in Japan on January 25, 1985.
This novel became the inspiration for the famous 1989 Studio Ghibli anime film. This film is also called Kiki's Delivery Service. Later, a live-action movie was made in 2014, also with the same name.
The book won many awards in Japan. Because it was so successful, and after the film became popular, Eiko Kadono wrote five more novels. These books created a whole book series. The newest book in the series came out in May 2017.
Contents
Kiki's Magical Journey: The Story of a Young Witch
This book tells the story of a young witch named Kiki. Kiki is thirteen years old. Her mother is also a witch, but her father is not. According to witch tradition, Kiki must leave home for a year. She needs to live on her own in a town that has no other witches.
Kiki has to use her magic to earn a living. She decides to start a delivery service. Kiki is not alone on her adventure. Her loyal black cat, Jiji, goes with her. Together, they learn about independence and growing up.
Book Translations: Kiki's Story Around the World
Majo no Takkyūbin was first published in Japanese. It was not translated into other languages until 2003. That year, the book became available in English, Italian, Korean, and Chinese.
Later, in 2006, Swedish and Indonesian versions were published. The French version of the book came out in 2019.
Different Book Titles Around the World
Not all translated versions of the book kept the original Japanese title. Some of them chose to include Kiki's name in the title.
- Kiki's Delivery Service (English edition), named after the English version of the Studio Ghibli film.
- Kiki, consegne a domicilio (Italian edition).
- 魔女宅急便 (Chinese edition).
- Kikis Expressbud (Swedish edition), which means Kiki's Fast Delivery.
- Titipan Kilat Penyihir (Indonesian Edition).
- Kiki la petite sorcière (French Edition).
English Editions of Kiki's Delivery Service
The first English edition was translated by Lynne E. Riggs. It featured illustrations by Akiko Hayashi. The cover art for this edition was created by Irvin Cheung. This book had 176 pages and eleven chapters, just like the original Japanese version.
A newer English translation was released on July 7, 2020. This version was translated by Emily Balistrieri. It included new illustrations by Yuta Onoda. This hardcover edition was published in the United States by Delacorte Press.
Other Kiki Adventures: Films and More Books
Film Adaptations of Kiki's Delivery Service
The book was made into a popular animated film in 1989. This movie was created by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
A live-action film based on the same novel was released on March 1, 2014. This movie also has the name Kiki's Delivery Service. It stars Fuka Koshiba as Kiki. The film uses stories from the first two novels in the series.
Kiki's Novel Sequels
The author, Eiko Kadono, wrote several more books about Kiki's adventures. These books continue Kiki's story as she grows up.
| Title | Release Date | Notes |
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| Majo no Takkyūbin 2: Kiki to Atarashii Mahō (魔女の宅急便その2 キキと新しい魔法, Witch's Express Home Delivery 2: Kiki and Her New Magic) | June 30, 1993 | This book has 16 chapters and new illustrations by Takako Hirono. |
| Majo no Takkyūbin 3: Kiki to mō Hitori no Majo (魔女の宅急便その3 キキともうひとりの魔女, Witch's Express Home Delivery 3: Kiki and the Other Witch) | October 20, 2000 | This book has 12 chapters. |
| Majo no Takkyūbin 4: Kiki no Koi (魔女の宅急便その4 キキの恋, Witch's Express Home Delivery 4: Kiki's Love) | March 10, 2004 | This book has 10 chapters. |
| Majo no Takkyūbin 5: Mahō no Tomarigi (魔女の宅kyūbinその5 魔法の止まり木, Witch's Express Home Delivery 5: Perch of Magic) | May 9, 2007 | |
| Majo no Takkyūbin 6: Sorezore no Tabidachi (魔女の宅急便その6 それぞれの旅立ち, Witch's Express Home Delivery 6: Each and Every Departure) | October 7, 2009 | |
| Majo no Takkyūbin Tokubetsu-hen: Kiki ni Deatta Hitobito (魔女の宅急便 特別編 キキに出会った人びと, Witch's Express Home Delivery Special Edition:People who met Kiki) | January 25, 2016 | |
| Majo no Takkyūbin Tokubetsu-hen 2: Kiki to Jiji (魔女の宅急便 特別編その2 キキとジジ, Witch's Express Home Delivery Special Edition2: Kiki and Jiji) | May 25, 2017 |
Awards and Recognitions for Kiki's Delivery Service
Kiki's Delivery Service has received several important awards:
- It won the 23rd Noma Award for Juvenile Literature.
- It also received the 34th Shogakukan Award for Children's Literature.
- The book was recognized with the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.
- It is listed on the IBBY Honour List for 1986, which highlights excellent children's books.
