GENRE: **Diverse, Character Driven, SEL
WORDS: 675
Query:
I’m seeking representation as a picture book author with MEI AND THE MEANING OF WABI-SABI, a story about letting go of perfection told through the lens of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi.
Whenever Mei makes a mistake she wants to hide from the world, like her pet turtle, Kai. After a taiko performance goes awry, her sister Aya shows her that she doesn’t need to be perfect. Like Aya’s wabi-sabi tea set, Mama’s flowers with crooked stems, and the rough stepping stones in the garden, imperfections are everywhere, and they make the world more beautiful.
I am a Japanese American, Denver-based content marketer and mother of two who loves exploring my culture through storytelling. I am a member of SCBWI and my work-in-progress manuscript, WHEN BAACHAN COMES TO VISIT, was nominated for the Golden Pen Award at the SCBWI-Rocky Mountain Chapter conference in 2023. I am active in a critique group for BIPOC women picture book writers and currently participating in an SCBWI mentorship program with children’s book author Andrea Wang.
Thank you for your time and for considering my work.
Excerpt:
On the morning of the taiko festival, I’m up early.
So is my sister, Aya.
She pops out of bed.
I shrink down under my blankets like my pet turtle, Kai, in his shell.
What if I make a mistake? Drop my drumstick in front of everyone, like last time?
Aya braids ribbons in her hair and gets dressed in her blue happi coat.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
When I was little, I always felt I was too little, too small, too shy. I wanted to be more than what I was. Learning about wabi-sabi helped me see the world in a new light and find the beauty in imperfect things. It also helped me see and accept myself for who I am. I wrote this story for those who make themselves smaller and feel like they’re not good enough to help them see that they don’t need to be perfect – they are just right as they are.
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