Listening to Trees: George Nakashima, Woodworker

A poetic and moving picture book biography celebrating the life and work of the visionary Japanese American woodworker George Nakashima.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, George Nakashima began a love story with trees that grew throughout his remarkable life as an architect, designer and woodworker.

During World War II, George, with his wife Marion and their baby daughter, endured incarceration in Minidoka prison camp, where he drew comfort from the discipline of woodworking.

Once free, George dedicated the rest of his life to crafting elegant furniture from fallen or discarded trees, giving fresh purpose and dignity to the wood and promoting a more peaceful world. Today, his pieces are displayed in museums and greatly coveted by collectors. His studio, now helmed by his daughter Mira, is still active in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Author Holly Thompson narrates Nakashima’s life using haibun, a combination of haiku and prose, which twines smoothly through Toshiki Nakamura’s earthy illustrations. A foreword by Mira Nakashima and robust back matter will deepen young readers’ understanding of woodworking and poetry, and offer added insights to the work of a master artisan.

Holly Thompson is the author of two picture books in verse: Twilight Chant, an NCTE Notable Poetry Book, and One Wave at a Time, a story about grief and healing. Her picture book The Wakame Gatherers was an NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and featured in NCT Asia programs. A graduate of the NYU Creative Writing Program, she writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction for children, teens and adults, and teaches creative writing in Japan, the U.S., and places in between.

Toshiki Nakamura is an animator and children’s book illustrator. Born and raised in Japan, he moved to San Francisco right after earning a B.A. in politics. He graduated from Academy of Art University, where he studied concept art and visual development. He lives in Kanagawa, Japan.