Kyo Maclear - Author

The Big Bath House

Spork

Story Boat

It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way

* 4 Starred Reviews * * An Indie Next List Pick * Playful, bold, and, much like its subject, full of grace. -Jillian Tamaki, Caldecott Honor winner for This One Summer It Began with a Page tells [Gyo Fujikawa's] story beautifully, in picture-book form. -The New Yorker From beloved team Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad (creators of Julia, Child and Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli) comes an elegant picture book biography that portrays the most moving moments in the life of Gyo Fujikawa, a groundbreaking Japanese American hero in the fight for racial diversity in picture books. Equal parts picture book biography, inspiring story, and a look at racial diversity in America, It Began with a Page is a gem for any book lover, librarian, or child who dares to dream big. Growing up in California, Gyo Fujikawa always knew that she wanted to be an artist. She was raised among strong women, including her mother and teachers, who encouraged her to fight for what she believed in. During World War II, Gyo's family was forced to abandon everything and was taken to an internment camp in Arkansas. Far away from home, Gyo worked as an illustrator in New York while her innocent family was imprisoned. Seeing the diversity around her and feeling pangs from her own childhood, Gyo became determined to show all types of children in the pages of her books. There had to be a world where they saw themselves represented. Gyo's book Babies was initially rejected by her publisher, but after she insisted, they finally relented, and Babies went on to sell almost two million copies. Gyo's books paved the way for publishers, teachers, and readers to see what we can be when we welcome others into our world. The book includes extensive backmatter, including a note from the creators, a timeline, archival photos, and further information on Gyo Fujikawa. A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2019 A Kirkus Best of 2019 Picture Book A 2020 ALSC Notable Children's Book A 2020 Orbis Pictus Recommended Title awarded annually by NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Featured in the 2019 Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators

The Liszts

Mama Liszt, Papa Liszt, Winifred, Edward, Frederick and Grandpa Liszt make lists all day long. So does their cat. Then one day a visitor arrives. He's not on anyone's list. Will the Liszts be able to make room on their lists for this new visitor? What will they do when something unexpected happens? Kyo Maclear's quirky, whimsical story is perfectly brought to life with the witty, stunning illustrations of debut picture book artist Julia Sarda. Discover this humorous, poignant and unforgettable celebration of spontaneity.

Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli

A dazzling first-person picture book biography of the life of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli by gifted team Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad. Backmatter included. Beauty . . . Color . . . Doubts . . . As a little girl in Rome, Elsa Schiaparelli's mamma told her she was not pretty. What is beauty? Elsa wondered as she grew older. So she sought out beauty around her and found it everywhere: in the colors and scents of the Rome flower market, in the garden, and in the attic of her family home, buried in a chest of old dresses. She found affection from her dear uncle in Milano. Voliamo, said Uncle Giovanni. Let's fly! And Elsa did fly! Schiap, as she later called herself, developed an artist's eye and imagination. These bloomed in the wildly imaginative dresses, hats, shoes, and jewelry that made her an important name in fashion. Defining beauty on her own creative and rebellious terms was the key to Elsa Schiaparelli's happiness and success-and is still seen today in her legacy of wild imagination. Daring and different, Elsa Schiaparelli used art to make fashion, and it was quite marvelous.

Julia, Child

Birds Art Life Death The Art of Noticing the Small and Significant

We live in a world that prizes the fast over the slow, the new over the familiar and work over rest. Birds Art Life Death is Kyo Maclear's beautiful journey to stake out a sense of meaning amid the crushing rush. One winter Kyo Maclear felt unmoored. Her father had recently fallen ill and she suddenly found herself a little lost. In the midst of this crisis, she met a musician who loved birds. When he watched birds and began to photograph them, his worries dissipated. Curious, she began to accompany him on his urban birdwatching expeditions and witnessed the magic of a transient city. Birds Art Life Death asks how we might gain perspective and overcome our anxieties by learning to cherish the urban wild spaces in which we live. Kyo urges us to find a subtle but restorative meaning in the everyday.