Katie Yamasaki

For two boys in a Japanese American family, everything changed when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States went to war. With the family forced to leave their home and go to an internment camp, Jimmy loses his appetite. Older brother Taro takes matters into his own hands and, night after night, sneaks out of the camp and catches fresh fish for Jimmy to help make him strong again. This affecting tale of courage and love is an adaptation of the author's true family story, and includes a letter to readers with more information about the historical background and inspiration.

Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp

Fish for Jimmy

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year! A multicultural family story that celebrates kindness and differences Lila is excited for her cousins Takeo and Rosie to visit. They're going to ride bikes, paint, and camp together! But when the cousins arrive, everything's wrong: Rosie and Takeo are better painters than Lila, have skateboards instead of bikes, and don't want to camp outside. Lila is terribly disappointed until the cousins make her a surprise: a big banner for their "best cousin" Lila! Inspired by the author's own large, diverse family, When the Cousins Came is a sensitive story about insecurity, hosting, and friendship. Katie Yamasaki's tale, paired with bright mixed-media art, reminds children that negative thoughts and anxiety over exclusion don't always translate to reality, and that even when plans go wrong you can still have a good time together.

When the Cousins Came

Ian Lendler

This richly crafted portrayal of community and friendship is an ode to those most affected by changing cities.

Everything Naomi Loved

Katie Yamasaki’s newest picture book is an intimate and tender story of the love between a father and a daughter. Dad wakes early every morning before the sun, heading off to work at the bakery. He kneads, rolls, and bakes, and as the sun rises and the world starts its day, Dad heads home to his young daughter. Together they play, read, garden, and—most importantly—they bake. This lovely, resonant picture book was inspired by muralist Katie Yamasaki’s work with formerly incarcerated people. With subtle, uncluttered storytelling amplified by her monumental and heartfelt paintings, she has created a powerful story of love, of family, and of reclaiming a life with joy.

Dad Bakes

This richly crafted portrayal of community and friendship is an ode to those most affected by changing cities. 11th Street: it wasn’t pretty, but it was home. Naomi spends her afternoons scooting down the streets and drawing with chalk on the sidewalks with her best friend Ada, getting a slice of pizza and visiting her neighbor Mister Ray at his auto shop, and dreaming of fantastic worlds within her own. But her beloved neighborhood is changing. Trees are chopped down, flashy new buildings spring up, and one by one Naomi’s neighbors are forced to move away. Faced with the rapid transformation of her once-familiar city block, Naomi turns to painting murals to preserve her favorite 11th Street memories. When something we love goes away we paint it on the wall so it’s always with us, Mister Ray tells her, and Naomi discovers that no matter how her world changes, as long as she has places and people to love, she will always have a home.

A multicultural family story that celebrates kindness and differences. Lila is excited for her cousins Takeo and Rosie to visit. They're going to ride bikes, paint, and camp together. But when the cousins arrive, everything's wrong: Rosie and Takeo are better painters than Lila, have skateboards instead of bikes, and don't want to camp outside. Lila is terribly disappointed until the cousins make her a surprise: a big banner for their "best cousin" Lila! Inspired by the author's own large, diverse family, When the Cousins Came is a sensitive story about insecurity, hosting, and friendship. Katie Yamasaki's tale, paired with bright mixed-media art, reminds children that negative thoughts and anxiety over exclusion don't always translate to reality, and that even when plans go wrong you can still have a good time together. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year!

Katie Yamasaki

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