![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/childrens-book-festival-1.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Nikkei Children\u2019s Book Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept.20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum\u2019s Democracy Center, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo.<\/p>\n
Dokusho no aki means \u201cfall is for reading,\u201d expressing the sentiment that the cozy and short days of autumn are the best time to pick up a book. Jump into the reading season with JANM\u2019s Nikkei Children\u2019s Book Festival and celebrate the breadth and diversity of children\u2019s literature across the Japanese American community.
The festival will be full of author storytimes for kids, Q&As for adults, activities for all ages, and a special pop-up bookstore from the JANM Store.<\/p>\n
Admission: $10 general, free for youth (under 18) and JANM members.<\/p>\n
This program is generously supported by the Port of Long Beach.<\/p>\n
Schedule<\/p>\n
10:15-11 a.m.: Know Our History<\/p>\n
George Takei and a special recording with Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson. Book-signing to follow readings and discussion.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Lost Freedom\u201d looks back at Takei\u2019s own memories of incarceration in the Rohwer, Ark. and Tule Lake, Calif. concentration camps during World War II to help today\u2019s children understand what it feels like to be treated as an enemy by your own country and the lengths parents go to keep their families safe.<\/p>\n
Fujimoto\u2019Johnson\u2019s \u201cShell Song\u201d is a moving picture book about Japanese American incarceration in Hawai\u2018i during World War II and a tribute to the importance of finding and collecting pieces of hope in the darkest of times.<\/p>\n
11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Tell Our Family Stories<\/p>\n
Readings with Katie Yamasaki, J.P. Takahashi, Lisa Aihara, and Chris Aihara. Book-signing to follow readings and discussion.<\/p>\n
Yamasaki\u2019s \u201cMural Island\u201d introduces young readers to Kenji, an artist who discovers a place to express themself and the joy of an art community.<\/p>\n
Takahashi\u2019s \u201cWaiting for Hanami\u201d celebrates the merging of cultural traditions that perfectly reflects cousins Sai and Avi\u2019s Japanese American and African American extended family.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandpa Stogie\u2019s Gigantic Goldfish,\u201d written by Chris Aihara and illustrated by Lisa Aihara, tells the story of a Nisei grandfather and his gigantic goldfish through his granddaughter\u2019s eyes, sharing his cultural values and experiences with her.<\/p>\n
1:15-2:30 p.m.: Celebrating Our Community<\/p>\n
Readings with Nadine Sachiko Hsu and Benson Shum. Book-signing to follow readings and discussion.<\/p>\n
In Hsu\u2019s \u201cSachiko and the Bully,\u201d by young Sachiko faces a bully at the racetrack and quickly realizes the importance of the golden rule and friendship, and shows readers how to handle a bully with kindness. It is the second book in the \u201cSachiko Goes Racing\u201d series.<\/p>\n
Shum\u2019s \u201cAnzu the Great Listener\u201d takes the lessons that a young kaiju learns from tending to his bonsai and uses them to help others.<\/p>\n
2:30-3 p.m.: Art and Storytelling<\/p>\n
Presentation and activities with Sunny and Judy Seki, and Gwen Muranaka. Book-signing to follow readings and discussion.<\/p>\n
Sunny Seki\u2019s \u201cHokusai\u2019s Daughter: A Young Artist in Old Japan\u201d celebrates the power of grit and artistic expression and introduces young readers to a trailblazing figure who, like her famous father, left a lasting impression in the world of art.<\/p>\n
\u201cColoring by Heart: An Activity and Coloring Book Inspired by the Japanese American Culture and Community\u201d by Muranaka and Eric Hayashi encourages readers of all ages to learn different ways to be creative. From coloring to word searches, each activity offers a window into Japanese American culture.<\/p>\n
\n\tArticles for you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Nikkei Children\u2019s Book Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept.20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32320,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[489,156,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-32319","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}