One of my favourite picture books to read to my daughters is 「11ぴきのねこ」(Eleven Cats) by Noboru Baba.
It’s a humorous tale about a clowder of half-starved cats who go on a wild adventure to capture a giant fish who supposedly lurks in a far-away lake.
But I just love the onomatopoeia they use for the cats’ cries. It’s not the oft-seen 「ニャー」、「ニャオ」or 「ニャッ」(nyaa, nyao or nya) - instead the author uses 「ニャゴ」 and 「ゴロニャーン」(nyago & goro nyaaan). Too cute, right?!?
What’s your favourite Japanese onomatopoeia for animal sounds?
