Written by Katie Yamasaki & Ian Lendler
Illustrated by Katie Yamasaki
Norton Young Readers, 2020
About This Book
11th Street. It wasn’t pretty but it was alive!
Honking cars, pizza by the slice, Hair by Carmen, the corner bodega―and Naomi’s best friend, Ada.
But 11th Street begins to change. Shops close, buildings are torn down, and signs promise something new. One by one, Naomi’s neighbors are forced to move. Faced with the transformation of her city block, Naomi picks up a paintbrush. When something we love goes away we paint it on the wall so it’s always with us, her neighbor Mister Ray tells her. Naomi turns her 11th Street memories into a great mural―and discovers that where she finds people to love, she will have a place to love.
Internationally acclaimed muralist Katie Yamasaki’s paintings are at once monumental and heartfelt. Everything Naomi Loved entwines a celebration of community and friendship with a vision of social justice in this lyrical and universal story about home.
Read my interview with Roger Sutton here!
“Yamasaki and Lendler convey the loss of a living, breathing community beset by gentrification. Muralist Yamasaki…champions the power of ordinary people to preserve what’s lost through art.” - Publisher’s Weekly, starred
“The nostalgic beauty and uniqueness of New York neighborhoods comes to life in this lush, vibrant book…with Yamasaki complementing the poignant message with delightful and memorable illustrations.” - Booklist
“Naomi’s home - its sights, smells, sounds, and interactions - is forever a place of love.” - Kirkus Reviews
Read the full review from Kirkus Reviews here.
Purchase here.
