Known for his independent spirit, Kawanabe Kyōsai is among Japan’s most important master painters. Witty, energetic and imaginative, his art continues to influence numerous artistic styles today, from manga to tattoo art. Throughout his career he delighted in the depiction of animals ― crows with strong personalities, frogs in the schoolroom, rats on trapezes, catfish in procession, elephants performing tricks – and frequently used them to satirise contemporary society. This enchanting book reveals a cavalcade of Kyōsai’s creatures from the renowned Israel Goldman Collection, with an introduction to the artist and his menagerie by Sadamura Koto, a leading authority on the artist.