What Is the Story of Hello Kitty?

What Is the Story Of?

by Kirsten Anderson, Who H.Q., Jill Weber (Illustrator)

Your favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library!

Say hello to the premier title in the What Is the Story Of? series. Hello Kitty!

This cute cartoon character who's shaped like a bobtail cat and wears a bow in her hair has become an icon of our times. Hello Kitty, as she is known, is a piano-playing, cookie-baking darling from London with a heart of gold. Readers will learn all about Kitty, who was first created in Japan, but has since gone on to capture the imagination of people all around the world. Super fans of the super-fashionable Kitty will be thrilled to see her debut in the Who HQ brand.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books, Middle Grade, Animals, Pop Culture, Juvenile

112 pages, Paperback

Published April 16, 2019

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this on the shelf, I was so excited. I am a long time Hello Kitty fan and was eager to hear how her story began. Unfortunately, her story isn't that exciting. The founder of Sanrio simply wanted to create a cute character that would sell, and he nailed it with Hello Kitty. The rest of the book talks about her evolution and what product licenses she has.

Boooring.

This was no fault of the author. I think she did the best she could with what little she had. I was just hoping for some groundbreaking success story that wasn't there.

[Christen]

When this came across my desk I couldn’t resist giving it a quick read. I wasn’t originally going to use it towards my count, but this little nonfiction chapter book did provide the backstory behind Hello Kitty and Sanrio so I appreciated learning about both. The book may be meant for kids but since Hello Kitty has been around since the 70s I’m sure several generations will be curious about the history behind her. A fun, very quick little read.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just affirmed the amazing awesomeness of Hello Kitty to me and made me want to rush out and buy something that featured her (why? WHY NOT!? is perhaps a better question!).

(Noticed that it did not cover the very tricky matter of Hello Kitty's identity that came out a few years ago...perhaps for the better.)

[Denise Kulesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Hello Kitty. My daughter (15) picked this out at the library and read it to me for story time.

I had no idea that Hello Kitty is the same age as me (no wonder I love her) and that she has a twin sister Mimi. I do not remember Hello Kitty having a cat until the last handful of years.

I am so happy Hello Kitty is still around for new generations.

[Dana Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history bits are fine, but half of the book is just a list of all the stuff on which Hello Kitty's face has appeared. This also would have been much better if it delved into the other Sanrio characters.

[Kryssy · Rating 4 out of 5]

- I’m guessing each book has different illustrators as well but this one looks exponentially bad compared to the other ones I’ve read
- Started by pitting designs and small items on sandals. Eventually put characters
- You give a gift as a thank you? Is it just a non stop cycle of gift giving?
- Went with a cat because snoopy and pooh were popular at the time
- Became such a hit because everything was about being cute at the time. Same time when handwriting became bubbly
- Hello kitty has a whole bio. Heigh, weight, interests
- Hello Kitty has a pet cat. Is there a system on which animals are human-like?
- New artist made Hello Kitty appeal to more audiences by making a more “grown up” version and by changing her style to fit trends
- Grown adults treated mcdonald’s happy meals as black friday sales
- Sanrio kept putting hello kitty on things and letting other companies use her. Eventually branched out to tv, video games, and amusement parks. Young girls who grew up with her introduced to their kids and it has continued like that to create such a following
- Sanrio can probably get away with never creating a new character ever again
- Some think it’s bad she has no mouth. Others like because they can make her feel whatever they feel


I feel like this was a purely factual book. I wish there was more on Hello Kitty’s fictional life.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise easy book for all ages, but geared towards elementary or middle grade kids. I read it because I grew up Loving Hello Kitty. I didn’t know the facts below:

-Originated in 1974
-Full name is Kitty White

When popularity rose Sanrio (means three rivers) created her history:
-bday: 11/1
-best friend Dear Daniel
-3rd grade
-lives in London
-fav food:mom’s apple pie
-wants to be a pianist or poet
-5 apples tall, 3 apples in weight
-she doesn’t have a mouth so that people can make her feel any way they want


-Has a pet called Charmmykitty
-1976 Yuko Yamaguchi was creating current drawings of HK to appeal to school girls. Ex: HK holding a teddy bear or playing piano
-Hello Kitty made is to the United States in 1976
-celebrities wore HK:Mariah Carey, Mandy Moore, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Nick I Minaj, Rihanna, Ariana Grande,Mikey Cyrus,Lisa Loeb.

Fun facts:
-HK’s float in Macy’s Parade started in 2007
-In Taiwan there’s a hospital with a Hello Kitty maternity ward!
-there are HK hotel rooms, cars, planes
-apparently 2 HK food trucks in the United States!

[Meg McGregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a Middle School Reading, History, and English teacher for almost 30 years! How did I not know about this series?

I really understand why students would enjoy reading these books! I am 67 and still love to learn new things from "children's books!

Did you know that Hello Kitty is an ambassador!

In 1983, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) appointed her the children's ambassador to the United States for the first time.

Years later, in 1994, UNICEF re-appointed her as a children's ambassador, this time in her native Japan.

Further, did you know that there are a growing number of Hello Kitty cafes, all with different themes! They are not just in Japan but are popping up all over the world. Some of them are in Australia and in the Republic of Korea.

In addition to that, Keio Plaza Hotel, in Tokyo, has Hello Kitty-themed rooms and there is even a huge Hello Kitty theme park in Singapore!

Hello Kitty forever!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well-written, easy to read, and engaging for my kids. I mostly found it disappointing, though. The original artist of Hello Kitty is never even named! Neither is the next Hello Kitty artist after her. I had to look them up on Google. The story of Hello Kitty's origin instead focuses almost entirely on the company founder. It felt weird to me to leave out the artist and her story and inspiration. The book ended up feeling very corporate to me.

Anyway, the artist's name is Yuko Shimizu. She left the Sanrio company after working there for two years and never made much money from her work. The design was inspired by her childhood; her father gave her a white kitten one year for her birthday.

[Jaimie O'Dell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute. I’ve always loved book that you learn things while reading that’s why I love this series of books. If this book was written for adults I can imagine a 300 page book of nonsense that I would hat to get through. But these short stories and biographies are perfect. I learned many interesting things about hello kitty and how she came to be. Just as cute as kitty her self.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just a fun read. The book covers the basic information about Hello Kitty that you can find on the Sanrio site. it also goes into how Sanrio was founded, how they evolved over the years, and how they connect with Asian culture and adapt for the rest of the world.

The overall the Who Was Series does a great job of introducing kids (2nd -4th grade) about a variety of subjects and people.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fairly disappointing. Turns out, there's not much history behind Hello Kitty! Most of this book is just a list of various places Hello Kitty's face appears and some random stories about fans.

Also, what about all the other Sanrio characters? Keroppi was always my favorite and I really wanted to learn more about him and how he came about!

[Kole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Hello Kitty and her history!
For kids, teens, and adults who are fans or want to read about her timeline from creation to now, and all the transformations and pop culture influences she's had.
There are illustrations all throughout the book mixed in with the text and they are adorable!

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of Hello Kitty and her origin. However, the latter half of the book just lists products, etc. that she appears on. I was heavily interested in who the other characters were, and they really didn't mention any of the other popular ones (not even Gudetama! But he may have risen to popularity after this book was published).

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting little book. I definitely learned a lot. I knew that Hello Kitty was popular, but didn't realize how popular, I guess. Some people go absolutely crazy over it. I also didn't know exactly when the character was created. She's been going strong for over 50 years now.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as research for a Hello Kitty library program. It also feels like good research to finally read one of these popular Who Is/What Is/Where Is/etc. books. This was a quick, informative read with some fun facts.

[Rebecca Thomason · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter has been asking me to read books with her so we can talk about them. Though this is an easy read, she wanted to learn more about Hello Kitty and knew I would enjoy chatting with her about it.
This is a really cute and informative book.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, small chapter book meant for children which details Hello Kitty's origin and contributions to pop culture. It would've been that much better if it had actual photos instead of just illustrations.

[Maria Almaguer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though informative on the history of a world renown image and business, this little book screamed to made in color! Alas, like the rest of the books in this series (What is the Story of...?), black and white drawings do nothing to capture the timeless adorableness of this iconic image.

[Katrina Winchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say wow much - as an adult - I love these books. Most comprehensive book about HP I've found, and in a very readable format.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fácil de leer y muy entretenido. Bueno para niños y fanáticos de Hello Kitty.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing and I learned so much. I think it is really cool that Sanrio is "three" and "rivers" mashed together.

[Mary T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew what the Hello Kitty looked like but didn't know any of its backstory. I enjoyed learning more about this phenomenon.

[Lisa Kizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kuwaii. My biggest complaint is the hand drawn pictures of items when actual pictures would do better. I just don't like cartoon versions of real people.

[CL]

Created by Japanese company Sanrio. Birthday is November 1. Height is 5 apples and weighs 3 apples.

[Breanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and straightforward. Would recommend for children curious about the story of Hello Kitty and how she's evolved over time.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never jumped on the Hello Kitty bandwagon so I had no idea just how big it was and maybe still is. And that back story...wow.

[Vani Ghanate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info for someone who had no idea about Hello Kitty except seeing the picture on certain products

[Sook Kuan Goh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a brief summary of the start of Hello Kitty and how it slowly developed. It’s talk about the artist but the content is mostly about how popular it is as far merchandise, people’s collectible, museum and trips.

[Suzanne Dix · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Hello Kitty fans!