Happy Friday! I had such a lovely time yesterday at the University Book Store storytime. The staff was warm and welcoming, and a sweet group of toddlers and adults gathered around a circular kids’ table as I read aloud Little Kunoichi. We followed up with a simple origami craft (samurai hats!) and I also created a little coloring sheet to go with the origami activity. This whole putting-a-book-out-in-the-world process continues to be surreal, and one of my favorite parts has been the charming, funny, and downright amazing stories people have shared with me. At the reading, a woman named Erin asked if I would sign the Little Kunoichi copies she’d brought from home, and as I scrawled away, she recounted her daughter’s reaction to the book and I was — as per usual — in tears (the daughter’s reaction was positive, thank goodness, and the tears were grateful ones). I was so moved that a real-life little girl struggling with school felt a kinship with the book and was encouraged to keep trying. Erin had serendipitously just written about it here. Thank you, Erin, I am deeply humbled.
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Perhaps you have a little one that might enjoy a coloring sheet? Feel free to download it from here. And if you’re interested in making an origami samurai hat as well, instructions can be found here.
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It’s been quite a week! Between the flurry of school activities that fill the end of the academic year and book shenanigans, I’m zipping to and fro, trying to keep up — I’m looking forward to a calm weekend. I hope yours is calm and fun.
Oh, it’s happening
One year older tomorrow*
I’m a June baby
*Each year seems to go faster and my birthdays are piling up. I can’t help but visualize calendar pages fluttering like a flip book. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the idiom “in the fullness of time.” It used to be a common repartee, the equivalent of “whenever it’s ready”. I’m fond of that phrase. Despite the surface sense of rapidity, I feel like life events have been unfolding in the fullness of time…
Happy Birthday, Sanae! Have a wonderful weekend to celebrate! Glad your reading went so well!
Thank you, Melissa! It’s been such a fun weekend!! 🙂
Happy, happy birthday. Have a wonderful day! Wishing you a year full of joy, success and dreams coming true. x
Thank you so much, Evie!! xoxo
Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful book, my petite was thrilled you wrote a special note just for her in her book. I so enjoyed chatting with you and can’t thank you enough for what your story has done for my little one. Happy birthday.
-Erin
Oh, wonderful! Glad to hear that Z liked the note! Thank you for coming to the reading and making my week, Erin!!
Happy birthday Sanae, hope you have a lovely day with your family xxx
It’s been a fantastic weekend filled with lovely activities with family and friends, Karen. 🙂 Thank you so much!
Happy happy birthday Sanae. I hope you have a lovely one.
Many thanks, Asmita! The weather has been GORGEOUS in Seattle, which has made the weekend extra fabulous :-).
little kunoichi arrived at our place just in time for our daughter’s second birthday. wow, your illustrations are even more beautiful in person! the quality of the print gives a true watercolour feel – almost like you hand-painted each book. there are so many lovely details i can get her to search for or tell her about (i particularly like looking for all of the little ninja students hidden around the institute 🙂 ). congratulations on making this beautiful book a reality – it must feel amazing. and, happy birthday 🙂