By Megan Hess
Review Staff Writer
Katie Yamasaki grew up a few streets away from the Little Monsters shop on Flint St. in Lake Orion. She went to Blanche Sims Elementary School, and went on to graduate from Lake Orion High School in 1995.
The blooming artist earned her Bachelor’s degree from Earlham College, and then her Master of Fine Arts Degree from the School of Visual Arts in 2003.
Katie, who now lives and works in New York, visited Little Monsters on Nov. 28, but not just as a Lake Orion alumna. She came to the store to sign her newly illustrated children’s book, Honda, The Boy Who Dreamed of Cars, for customers.
This is Katie’s first book with Lee and Low Books, the company who published the story, which came out Sept. 1.
She now has two more lined up with them.
Little Monsters owners, Leila Freijy and Chris McKenna, manned the cash register in the packed little shop.
The two women have known Katie a long time, and offered to host a book signing for her first book long before it was ever published.
‘We are both artists, so we try to do as many art-related things as possible,? Chris said.
She promised Katie, ‘let us know when [the book] is done and I will do a book signing.?
‘I thought it was a great book — I loved the illustrations,? said Leila. ‘I learned a lot about Honda.?
Marilyn Lines queued up for her signed copy of Katie’s book. Marilyn’s two daughters grew up with Katie, and Marilyn is a good friends of Katie’s mother, Maria.
‘Their family is so kind, and quick to help other people,? Marilyn remembers of Katie’s family.
Family, friends and community members all lined up for Katie’s autograph and mingled in the shop to help celebrate her book.
Katie also visited Blanche Sims Elementary School for their month-long program called Reading Team.
Katie is a former student of the school, and got to show students some of her original artwork and talk about her trip to Japan for research for the book.
‘Katie Yamasaki was an inspiration to all of our students,? said Kat Montei of Blanche Sims.
‘She showed them that students from Blanche Sims can do great things if they work hard and don’t give up.?
During her presentations, Katie, a natural teacher and speaker, awed students from kindergarten to fifth grade with her artwork.
Katie currently lives in Brooklyn and teaches at the New York City Public School for Dance.
The school is a unique collaboration between The Ballet Tech School of NYC and the NYC Department of Education. The school is for students from grades four to twelve, and integrates ballet training with a public education.