Welcome to Litsy!

Through vibrant artwork and lyrical storytelling, Maclear celebrates Fujikawa‘s legacy and her commitment to representing children of all races, encouraging young readers to embrace their creativity and the power of diversity

The book offers an insightful glimpse into Fujikawa‘s life, her creative process, and her contributions to children's literature, particularly her role in breaking racial barriers in illustrations. The narrative beautifully traces her journey from childhood to becoming one of the first illustrators to depict children of all races as equally important and lovable in her books.

bigger,better world

I think that this book would be wonderful for the older grades. I think that this book provides a lot of insight on how children can follow their dreams, and take opportunities that people may not have been given before them. It is important that we inspire children to be great. With the adaption of this book within our classrooms, we will be able to allow students to understand that.

“It began with a page, bright and beckoning.”

It Began with a Page by Kyo Maclear was published in 2019. There are no current awards won for this book. This story is based in the 20th century. It is based around the ideas of Gyo, and how she learned from her family members that women and Japanese people lacked the same opportunities as everyone else. But, they believed in her, so she set out to get what her relatives never got the chance to achieve.

“A book,“ she told her poodles, “can be anything that anyone imagines it to be.“

This book opens readers minds to the amazing impact that educators and teachers have on children. It gives children a new appreciation for their teachers and a love for their teachers that aspire them and push them to be great.

This book was published in 2019 and it is about a girl named Gyo and her family that immigrated from Japan to California. She felt alone and out of place for being different. Her teacher soon recognized Gyo's amazing talent for art and soon Gyo went to become an illustrator for picture books.

This book utilizes blank spaces so the pictures are clear and prominent to the story. The words are simple, yet easy to follow to understand Gyo Fujikawa and her drawings. I like how the book discusses the importance of art as an escape in people's lives. My favorite quote is, “welcoming kids in from the edges, corners, from the shadows, Gyo let each child find a place.“

“Gyo, along with the others living on the East Coast, was told to stay where she was”

This story would be used well to showcase a history lesson on Japanese internment camps and the history of racism during WWII.

It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear is a picture book biography about Japanese American artist Gyo Fujikawa. This story talks about Gyo‘s struggle with racism, her love or art and her time in an internment camp. This story is full beautiful illustrations that showcase Gyo‘s life.

“Gyo, along with the others living on the East Coast, was told to stay where she was”

“GYo, along with the others living on the East Coast, was told to stay where she was”

This story would be used well with students to showcase a history lesson on Japanese internment camps and the history of racism during WWII.

This story would be used well to showcase a history lesson on Japanese internment camps and the history of racism during WWII.

It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear is a picture book biography about Japanese American artist Gyo Fujikawa. This story talks about Gyo‘s struggle with racism, her love or art and her time in an internment camp. This story is full beautiful illustrations that showcase Gyo‘s life.

Biography- It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear is a picture book biography about Japanese American artist Gyo Fujikawa. This story talks about Gyo‘s struggle with racism, her love or art and her time in an internment camp. This story is full beautiful illustrations that showcase Gyo‘s life.

“Gyo, along with the others living on the East Coast, was told to stay where she was”

This story would be used well to showcase a history lesson on Japanese internment camps and the history of racism during WWII.

It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear is a picture book biography about Japanese American artist Gyo Fujikawa. This story talks about Gyo‘s struggle with racism, her love or art and her time in an internment camp. This story is full beautiful illustrations that showcase Gyo‘s life.

“Babies! Chubby-cheeked, squat-legged, bouncy-bottomed babies.“ This quote talks about her idea of creating a book that has all types of races and ethnicities within babies.

I recommend this book for many reasons. One reason is that it is written really concisely and the style of illustrations adds lots of dimension to the story. I recommend this book to all students because it shows the ups and downs of life.

This book is a biography of the illustrator Gyo Fuijkawa and her life leading up to her amazing illustrations. It talks about her childhood and the hardships that went through with her family and society. It also shows her accomplishments as an illustrator and introduces the book 'Babies'.

“When the world felt gray, color lifted her. She wondered, could art comfort and lift others too?“

Gyo Fujikawa's groundbreaking efforts to include various characters in children's literature are honored in this book. It helps young readers comprehend and value people from many origins and cultures by introducing them to the value of inclusion.

It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear delves into the life of Gyo Fujikawa, highlighting her artistic enthusiasm and pioneering contributions to children's books. The importance of variety and representation in children's literature is emphasized in the book, which also shows how Fujikawa's contributions opened the door for more inclusive narrative.

“For the next few years, Gyo worked long days, painting murals and drawing for magazines.“

The narrative begins with Gyo's early years and her childhood passion for drawing. It then explores her journey as she faced challenges and overcame barriers, ultimately becoming a pioneer in the field of children's book illustration. Children could be heavily inspired by this biography especially if they share similar interests.

“It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way“ by Kyo Maclear is a picture book biography that tells the story of Gyo Fujikawa, a pioneering Japanese-American illustrator and artist. The book celebrates Gyo's life and her significant contributions to children's literature.

This book is classified as a biography because the information within it is an accurate portrayal of Gyo Fujikawa's life. The book also portrays the character as multidimensional and believable.

It Began With A Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad, is a fantastic picture book biography. It tells the story of Gyo Fujikawa's life and her art and the impact she had on kidlit for generations. The art is charming and shows he events clearly and with style. It is exactly what a picture book biography should be. Recommended!