Gyo Fujikawa has long meant much to me as an artist and bookmaker, but this project allowed me to learn so much more about not only the vital role she played in bringing diversity to children’s books but also many details of her little-known life story, including her personal journey as a Japanese American artist struggling against prejudice and racism.

[Read Horn Book reviews of the 2020 BGHB Nonfiction winners.]

I’m forever grateful to my dear friend Kyo for starting this project and bringing me in to collaborate. Our wonderful editors and designers at HarperCollins and at Tundra put so much thought and care into the project. It was a dream book to work on.

From the January/February 2021 issue of The Horn Book Magazine. Read author Kyo Maclear's BGHB speech here. For more on the 2020 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, click on the tag BGHB20. Read more from The Horn Book by and about Julie Morstad.