Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey

by Katie Yamasaki

Katie Yamasaki’s newest picture book celebrates the life of her grandfather, the acclaimed Japanese American architect Minoru Yamasaki. Minoru Yamasaki described the feeling he sought to create in his buildings as “serenity, surprise, and delight.” Here, Katie Yamasaki charts his life and his childhood in Seattle’s Japanese immigrant community, paying his way through college working in Alaska’s notorious salmon canneries, his success in architectural school, and the transformative structures he imagined and built. A Japanese American man who faced brutal anti-Asian racism in post–World War II America and an outsider to the architectural establishment, he nonetheless left his mark on the world, from the American Midwest to New York City, Asia, and the Middle East. This striking picture book renders one artist’s work through the eyes of another, and tells a story of a man whose vision, hard work, and humanity led him to the pinnacle of his field.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Art, Childrens, Asian Literature

56 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2022

About the author

Katie Yamasaki is an artist based in Brooklyn, NY. She works primarily as a muralist, children’s book author / illustrator and teaching artist.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s different to listen to a picture book rather than read it and I kind of would like to get to actually read it and see the pictures. I do like how she listed his different works at the end and one was in Princeton New Jersey, so I will be planning to see it in the future. I also didn’t realize he was the architect behind the World Trade Center. I’ve seen it from afar, but never really been inside of it except for the PATH station inside of it a few times.

Sorry that he and others had to deal with racism and bigotry. Glad he was able to overcome it, but that’s an ugly part of America’s history we can’t ignore and need to learn from to do better for everyone.

4, solid but I want to see the pictures too, stars.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique biography comes from the perspective of the subject's granddaughter. Her evident love for him and the personal touches throughout the book are meaningful, and she shares the story of his family and his career in an engaging way. This will appeal to elementary-aged readers and older.

I enjoyed the story, the art, and the sidebar sketches that represented different architectural projects. However, parents and educators should be aware that this book covers heavy topics. The story includes many specific examples of discrimination, instead of just referencing it in general terms, and sensitive children may need help processing these injustices. Also, near the end, there are a few pages about 9/11. The author says that even though her grandfather died prior to that horrible day, his heart would have broken over the horrible event and all that happened afterwards.

Those pages caught me off guard, because even though I knew that a Japanese-American man designed the World Trade Center, I didn't realize that this biography was about that same architect. The book handles the topic with appropriate lament and compassion, but because the author does not explain anything about what happened, adults will need to be ready for follow-up conversations.

[Frieda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic. Touching. A beautiful tribute to a grandfather and individual!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book biography tells the story of the author's grandfather, a Japanese American who faced adversity in trying to attend college and earn a degree during the time between the world wars. Due to excessive amounts of racism towards Japanese people, especially closer to WWII, the experience of Japanese Americans was very difficult during the mid 1900s. The author mixes the positive parts of her grandfather's life with the challenges he faced and also compares them to the racism and destruction created surrounding 9/11 in NYC. As an architect, her grandfather had a passion for buildings and even though he was not alive when the towers fell, the author was able to share the grief he would have felt in a way that young children would understand. The book ends with an extensive author's note about her grandfather and his studies of architecture and his challenges facing racism.

I think this book would be great for teachers wanting to teach about diversity, racism and inclusion both in America's past and where we are today. I think it is also a great opportunity for teachers to show students that even if someone faces significant challenges related poverty and discrimination, it is possible to persevere. I also love that this book shows both sides of architecture: a science and an artform. Picturebook biographies are very popular right now and I think this book would be no exception! I would highly recommend it to parens and teachers of children in the 6-10 age range. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this great book!

[Feliciana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful picture book biography. So much is packed into such a short read! Katie Yamasaki is able to share the achievements and hardships her grandfather experienced through the lens of a young reader. She touches on anti-asian hate, Japanese internment camps, and even red-lining in a way that provokes curiosity in a young reader to seek out more on Japanese American history. The drawings of her grandfather’s work accompanied throughout the book are beautiful. I can’t believe that I am just learning about him, his name, and his work from this book. I would definitely recommend this book to educators at my school, as well as read it with my students and daughter.

Thank you Netgalley and W.W. Norton & Company, Norton Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely phenomenal work. Couldn't recommend it more.

[John Mullarkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A picture book biography written by the subject's granddaughter exemplifies how an her Grandfather can overcame tremendous obstacles to fulfill his vision and passion for architectural design. Minoru Yamasaki is not a name that many of us know - however one of his projects has tragically been placed in our country's history forever - more on that in a minute. Yamaski was raised in Seattle in the early 1900's and as a Japanese-American faced discrimination and was limited on gaining opportunities while growing up, but his incredible work ethic led him to the top of his classes in his school years and to an Alaskan salmon cannery to pay his way through college during summer recesses, but World War II would put an end to all of his progress - as a Japanese/American he would face not only discrimination, but possible persecution as well. In the time following the war, his work in architecture eventually began to take shape and he was afforded opportunities to prove himself which he did - mainly in Detroit, where is visions of arches, light, nature; with an Islamic and Gothic influence guided his approach. These styles (that are very distinctive) show up in many of his works including, most notably, the World Trade Center destroyed on 9/11/01 years after his death. Like her grandfather, Katie Yamaski is an artist on a large scale - she is a muralist. Her affection and admiration for her grandfather is evident - his ability to overcome so many difficulties is at the center of this biography and his achievement of a unique architectural vision did not come without a price - and it is an example of being human - he took on a large degree of criticism in the architectural community for many of his designs and he took on a painful turn designing a failed housing project in St. Louis. I can see this book being read to, or by many age groups. There are extensive end notes with pictures of Yamasaki's designs/buildings; which make it easy to see the connections in his designs. It is also a fine example of one person's triumphs over discrimination and difficulties which is always inspirational.

[Dione Basseri · Rating 4 out of 5]

One artist, reminiscing on the art of her grandfather. Katie's work reminds me a lot of murals. The faces (and people in general) are given greater contour, to help them stand out against vast backgrounds and sometimes over-busy foregrounds. Over-busy not in a sense of artistic judgement, but more for the frantic struggle of Minoru Yamasaki to just tread water long enough to achieve his dream of becoming an architect.

The book, of course, portrays many of Yamasaki's structures, as well as the international influences that helped build his own personal style. The artist/storyteller also doesn't shy from Minoru's failures, such as the Pruitt-Igoe housing project. The story rounds out with the fall of the Twin Towers, another of Yamasaki's works, and how Minoru's legacy lives on in his stylistic ideals, if not always directly in his creations.

The book ends with a more detailed biography section, but the best part, in my opinion are all the original sketches of Yamasaki's buildings, including one of his own family home! Locations are given (most in the United States, but one in India, one in Japan, and two in Saudi Arabia), so even if you don't immediately recognize a building, you've likely been to one of the major cities and could pull up some vacation pictures for your kid, to show you by the structures.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful story written by the granddaughter of acclaimed architect Minoru Yamasaki. You may be asking yourself “who is that?” You may not recognize his name, but you certainly will recognize many of his works. Yamasaki is the brains behind the building of many schools, universities, airports, corporate office towers, and even some small municipal buildings. These great works scatter the globe from Saudi Arabia, India, Iran, Japan, Canada, Turkey, and all across the United States. One of his most famous works are the main towers at World Trade Center, NYC.

As a child, Yamasaki ignored the voices of those in his inner circle, and instead listened to that still small inner voice that propelled him towards a life journey that would be more than sweeping the floor at a local factory.

He worked his way through college, endured redlining, and overcame discrimination in the workforce with a single minded approach of being a great architect.

This book can be used in middle to upper elementary as a biography, an example of overcoming challenges, and as a way to discuss discrimination practices during World War 2 against Asian Americans.

Following the story the author gives her personal account of life with her grandfather and offers more nuanced explanations. This, coupled with the story, could be good for middle grade students.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Madison Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. age range (2nd-4th/5th)
2. Yama, who was born and raised in Seattle, studied at the top of his class for many years. Because of the Great Depression, he was unable to get a job despite his intelligence. Eventually, he was able to get a job as an architect. However, people still outwardly portrayed their racism by telling him that both his Japanese face and name could not be trusted - even saying the word Japanese like it was something naughty. Despite this, Yama kept working extremely hard. He got married and after some upsides in his life, WWII started and their only form of escape from Japanese Internment camps was a time apartment that Yama and his wife, Teruko, had. He fought against the idea at the time that Japanese people were suspicious (spies), stating that he was like every other American who was born in the USA and was trying to build their life. Instead of folding into the racism, he built upon it, continuing to work as an architect and building a strong foundation for himself in America.
3. Firstly, I chose this book because it fits into the group of books that I picked for my thematic collection. But secondly, the idea of a granddaughter telling the life story of her grandfather intrigued me; made me wonder how impeccable his life really was if she was inspired enough to write a book about it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most famous architect you have probably never heard of. If you were to say, oh, he probably did obscure buildings, then I would have to say, oh, was the world trade center in New York obscure? He also designed the Century towers in Century City California, and the St. Louis Lamhert Airport Terminal. All his designs were full of light and air, because he wanted that for people.

Written by his granddaughter, this is a very simplified story of his life, but it also explains the hardship he faced being a Japanese-American, and how he had to work twice as hard to get where his white colleagues got. He wasn't interned during World War 2, simply because he was living in New York at the time, but his parents had to come and live with him, because they had their store taken from them, and would have been interred with the other members of his family that weren't so lucky.

In the back of the picture book, it goes over in more detail what he went through and some of the more famous buildings he designed. Amazing story, and so glad it was written.



Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture book biography. This biography of Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki is lovingly written and illustrated by his granddaughter. It is not afraid of addressing the discrimination he faced throughout his life, with anti-Asian resentment and then specifically anti-Japanese policies with WWII starting. He leaned into hard work, finding ways to pay for college, build a family home, and follow his dream of becoming an architect. He wanted to design buildings that were welcoming and included elements of the natural world, often through open arches or reflecting pools. The inclusion of the world trade center attack is a bit jarring, because the text does not make clear that he designed the World Trade Centers. The text finishes with a full 5 page author's note which has sketches of his most famous building designs labeled with their locations. The illustrations are beautiful and full-page but I could not find an art note detailing the method. To my untrained eye they appear to be painted. An in-depth biography of an influential architect, this is definitely geared towards mid elementary or older.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spectacular picture book biography brings to light the the life of Minoru Yamasaki's life here in America. He was Japanese American from the beginning. Born in the Seattle of immigrant parents he was taught to work hard. He put himself through college doing jobs in Alaska fisheries. Being Japanese during World War II was not easy, but then he lived in New York City and housed friends who would have been sent to the Internment Camps. He always loved light and open space that allowed quiet in and it shows in his work. Told by his granddaughter, this biography is clearly told with bright illustrations showing frustrations, love, dedication, and success throughout.

If you need biography books for students, consider this one. I had not known that Yamasaki designed so many buildings that I know around the world. I have been working to diversify my biography collection and this is a welcome addition for me. The only missing element for me is a timeline. I know my students can use the author notes, but a timeline and other sources would make it so much easier for my elementary population.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book! I love the pictures. They make me feel the way Yama wanted people to feel when they viewed his buildings. They are absolutely beautiful, and the story is lovely, too. I liked the way Yama cared about people and, though he was discriminated against, did not become bitter. I admired his family life, too; he filled his house with his children and grandchildren! There is not a lot in the children’s part of this story about the discrimination that Japanese Americans experienced, but the historical note goes into that in some detail. This is a picture book biography that is definitely worth having on the shelf.

I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful tribute from a granddaughter to her grandfather, an architect I had never heard of, perhaps because of his Japanese heritage. Minoru Yamasaki managed to escape incarceration in the concentration camps during WWII because the architectural firm he worked for in Seattle moved him to New York City.

Bad critiques about his body of work from the architectural world stemmed from their racist views of him. The architect is known for designing the World Trade Center, but few people know about his many other structures including those studying architecture.

The afterword in the book shines a light on the author's grandfather because she has included drawings of many world-wide structures Minoru Yamasaki designed.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Old people, it turns out, were not always old. Not even grandparents." This opening line begins a beautifully illustrated and written story about Minoru Yamasaki, an American architect who battled anti-Japanese attitudes before and after World War II and who succeeded against those odds to design truly beautiful buildings. While I had studied more classical architecture and medieval architecture in my interest in the subject, I never came across Minoru's name not even in conjunction with his "most famous" work the World Trade Center. Kudos to Katie Yamasaki for bringing her grandfather's story to picture book format to introduce young readers to his work and lifelong battle against prejudice.

[Tessa Baer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love picture book biographies, and Katie Yamasaki's Shapes, Lines, and Light is no exception. The story is deep, yet simply told for even the youngest readers to understand. The adoration for the work her grandfather had done and the struggle he faced leaps off the pages through Yamasaki's words. The art is also beautiful and complements the story so well. This story taught me more about the prejudices against Japanese Americans than I had previously known. Very informative, lovingly written, and beautifully drawn.

[DianeLikesToRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shapes, Lines, and Light by Katie Yamasaki tells the story about one of America’s most talented architects, Minoru Yamasaki. Yamasaki is best known for designing the Twin Towers. However, his legacy goes throughout the world.
Yamasaki was born in Seattle, to immigrant parents. He faced much prejudice during his life, yet he persevered and started his own design company.
This is a great book for children in grades 3-8. The lovely pictures compliment the story perfectly. I want to thank the author, Norton Young Readers and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Amy Pickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Shapes, Lines, and Light from the library because it seemed like a great choice for Multicultural Children's Book Day (https://multiculturalchildrensbookday...) on January 26, 2023. Although I did not read it until a few days later, I learned a lot from this picture book biography of the author's grandfather, Minoru Yamasaki. He's best known for designing the World Trade Center, but there is a lot more to his story. Katie Yamasaki did a wonderful job of incorporating her family history, her grandfather's designs, and elements of the natural world that inspired Minoru's work. Don't skip the Author's Note, which provides even more insight!

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic picture book biography about a man you probably have never heard of, but you know his work. Minoru Yamasaki was a Japanese American who endured discrimination, anti-Japanese hate, and low expectations for his success to become a kind community leader, award-winning architect and inspiration. This book wins on every level- inspiring story, painful reminder of American history regarding Japanese citizens, overcoming hardship and following a dream to incredible success. Written by Yamasaki's granddaughter.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story! My students had no idea about the racism towards Japanese people during World War II in the USA. The author's grandfather was a famous architect. The story mentions 9/11 and says how sad he would have felt....ironic considering the racism he faced. However, destroying a building he designed because of racism would have hurt his heart. He wasn't alive during 9/11, however.
The story does a good job of showing parts of his life he loved and the warmth and light despite the hurdles he faced.

[Tracett · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I hadn't beforehand known of Minoru Yamasaki, some of his work was a backdrop of my childhood. The Pacific Science Center was the site of many school field trips. I loved the strange beauty of its pools and arches. Even as an adult, living near the Seattle Center, I would take walks there to enjoy the serenity. Reading this briefly told story of his life brought back some of the wonder that I felt from his work. A great book for kids, between the architecture and the Japanese American experience of the time - there is much to think about here.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as I would have wanted it to be.

Minoru Yamasaki's accomplishments are important, and his path to them -- with his struggles and inspirations -- is important. However, I got that more from the additional content in the back than in the story presented, and the illustrations don't really capture the architecture in the way that was needed.

The author is writing about her grandfather so it is very personal, and she is an artist so choosing to illustrate makes sense, but this could have been so much better with a little help.

[Mary Keen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard an interview about this youth book with Minoru Yamasaki's granddaughter on Seattle's NPR station. Great that she's published this book to make him better known.

I've always admired the Seattle Science Center with its soaring arches -- so interesting that he was the architect of that as well as the World Trade Center and other important buildings.

I especially liked the summary with small drawings of many of his buildings, even in Saudi Arabia and India!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. I had previously heard of Minoru Yamasaki-- World Trade Center architect. This book is recommended for grades 1st-3rd, but due to the length and weighty content (that at times felt bogged down with info) I feel that it would be better on the Charlie May Simon Award Reading List. It felt like an older reader picture book biography to me. I really enjoyed this book overall and I'm happy to have read his story!

[Beth Ogawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just wish this was longer.
I felt like we barely skimmed the surface of his life and the impact that he had on his granddaughter and the community. I would have liked to hear more about his experiences in school, relationships with his family and colleagues, and his potentially complicated feelings towards his identity.

[Elizabeth Seibel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning about this architect and all his contributions and his journey to become the successful person that he was. I enjoyed the illustrations being so building focused. This will be a book I add to my classroom library. Thank you #netgalley for giving me a copy of this book.

[Yaimara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful homage to the author's grandfather, Minoru Yamasaki, who lived an exceptional life during such difficult times. The stunning collage work in this book perfectly merges both the grandfather's and the author's legacies.

[Cymiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never heard of the architect Minoru Yamasaki nor was familiar with his body of work. One of the most famous buildings was the World Trade Center. Told against the backdrop of prejudice, this is an important story brought to light by his granddaughter, who is a well-known muralist herself.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible addition to Katie Yamasaki's wonderful books, a personal one that incorporates biography as well as her signature stunning, tender paintings, inventive visual details, heart.

Would work so well paired with THE SNAIL, GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY, CURVE & FLOW.