Sheila Hamanaka is an American freelance

children's author Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

and

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...

Life

Hamanaka is a

Sansei is a Japanese and North American English term used in parts of the world such as South America and North America to specify the children of children born to ethnic Japanese in a new country of residence. The ''nisei'' are considered the second ...

Japanese American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

, the daughter of actor

Conrad Yama Conrad Yama (born Kiyoshi Conrad Hamanaka; October 8, 1919 – March 10, 2010), was an American theatre, film, and television actor. Early life Born and raised in Fresno, California, Hamanaka attended Fresno State after high school, studying s ...

and Mary Takaoka of the Vaudeville group

Taka Sisters The Taka Sisters were a traveling vaudeville trio of Japanese-American singers and dancers who billed themselves as "the only Japanese triplets on the stage". Early years Myrtle (1916-2011), Midi (1914-1936), and Mary (1912-1991) were the daughte ...

. She has two older siblings; the writer and musician

V. Vale V. "Valhalla" Vale (born February 4, 1944) is an American editor, writer, interviewer, musician and, as Vale Hamanaka, was keyboardist for the initial configuration of Blue Cheer, before it became famous as a power trio. He is the publisher and ...

, and musician/singer Lionelle Hamanaka. Hamanaka lives in

Tappan, New York Tappan ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York. It is located northwest of Alpine, New Jersey, north of Northvale, New Jersey and Rockleigh, New Jersey, northeast of Old Tappan, New ...

Awards

*1992

American Book Award The American Book Award is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers' award given by other writers" and "the ...

for ''The Journey''

Works

* * * * * ''In Search Of The Spirit: The Living National Treasures of Japan'', 1999 Morrow Junior, Sheila Hamanaka, Ayano Ohmi, * * *

Illustrations

Criticism

"The "It Girl's" Guide To Chemo ", ''WBAI.org''"Slanted Screen: Emasculation of the Asian Male In Film", ''WBAI.org''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamanaka, Sheila American women illustrators American illustrators American children's writers Living people American women children's writers American writers of Japanese descent People from Tappan, New York American Book Award winners Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women American women writers of Asian descent