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 