Mii-chan Can Speak Japanese

I was commissioned to illustrate, design and translate (from Japanese to English) a bilingual picture book called "Mii-chan Can Speak Japanese". The author of this book, Japanese teacher and researcher Dr Chino Nakano, wrote "Mii-chan Can Speak Japanese" based on the true story of one of her students, a Japanese-Australian girl who no longer wanted to attend Japanese Saturday School. She self-published the book, which can be purchased from Chino's website www.kotobatelier.com

The book explores the challenges of growing up in a mixed cultural environment, of living in one country and trying not to lose your connection to your heritage. It is being used as a resource in workshops held to support parents of mixed heritage children.

Given my own Japanese-American-Australian background and similar lived experiences, I was grateful to work on such an important and personally relevant project.