Katie YAMASAKI

Muralist and children’s book artist

Katie Yamasaki is a muralist and children’s book artist. She has travelled widely, painting over 80 murals with diverse communities around the world that explore local issues of social justice.
Her children’s book work focuses on similar themes of social justice and stories from underrepresented communities.
Most recently, Yamasaki co-authored “Everything Naomi Loved,” with Ian Lendler for Norton Young Readers. “Everything Naomi Loved” tells the story of Naomi, and how she faces the
hard changes gentrification brings to her beloved community.
Some of her other books, especially “When the Cousins Came” and “Fish for Jimmy” recount personal family stories about the internment camps of WWII and growing up in a multi-racial
family. “Dad Bakes” will be released in the fall of 2021, and tells the story of a father and daughter reconnecting after a separation caused by the father’s incarceration.
Yamasaki earned her BA from Earlham College and her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, where she served on the faculty for several years. She worked for 14 years as a public
school Spanish and Art teacher in both the Detroit and NYC public schools. Yamasaki lives in Brooklyn with her family.
You can explore more of Yamasaki’s work on her website, at www.katieyamasaki.com or on her Instagram page, @katieyamasaki.