Marie Kondo to write children's book about friends who tidy up

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Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

Tidying Up guru Marie Kondo is releasing her first children’s book, which will be titled Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship.

The mother-of-two, who rose to fame with her Netflix show about decluttering, described the book as “a timeless story about friendship” and said she hoped the characters would “inspire children and families to tidy and embrace joy”.

Kiki & Jax follows the eponymous pair of friends – Kiki, a collector, and Jax, a sorter – who run into trouble when Kiki’s things begin to get in the way. Together they must decide whether they can make room for the thing that “sparks joy” for both of them: their friendship.

Kondo is collaborating with her co-writer and illustrator Salina Yoon for the book, which she says will “spark joy philosophy in a fun, meaningful, and accessible way for children”.

Kondo has written four novels about her “KonMari Method”, which is an organisational technique she developed to hold onto belongings that “spark joy” and get rid of those that do not.

The Netflix documentary, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, sparked a minor controversy when she suggested people throw away books that don’t bring them joy – prompting viewers to point out that “joy” was not the sole purpose of literature.

Kiki and Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship is scheduled for release on 5 November.