Night on the Galactic Railroad

When Giovanni, a lonely boy in a hill town, goes to get milk for his ailing mother, he finds himself crossing the Milky Way on a faster-than-light steam railroad. The stations he visits in various constellations, like the planets explored by St. Exupery's Little Prince, offer curious adventures and an assortment of human "types." Reality and fantasy blur aboard the train, and its travels across the light-years sometimes suggests the journey through life. The characters are depicted as cats, presumably to avoid the problems of animating humans.

A manga adaption of Kenji Miyazawa's classic Night on the Galactic Railroad.

Lonely, awkward Giovanni has a sick mother, an absent father and an afterschool job that keeps him from playing with his classmates. One evening, on the night of the Star Festival, he is magically transported by train through the galaxy with his best friend, Campanella.The boys share a fantastical journey to the stars, meeting mysterious characters who prompt them to think about the meaning of life. Only when Giovanni returns to earth does he learn the heartbreaking truth about their adventure. (Source: Tuttle Publishing)