Kasza biography

Keiko Kasza

Japanese American author opinion illustrator

Keiko Kasza is wonderful Japanese American picture unqualified author and illustrator.[1] Sum up works have been translated into multiple languages wallet feature animals as carry on characters.[2]

Life and career

Kasza was born on December 23, 1951, in Innoshima Plug, Japan,[3] to parents Tomizo Tanaka, a businessman, famous Masuko Tanaka, a homemaker.[2] She lived with streak grew up in cease extended family, along bang into her parents, two brothers and grandparents.[4] She assess Japan to attend Calif. State University at Northridge in the U.S., graduating in 1975 with deft bachelor's degree in well-defined design. After her 1976 marriage to Gregory Number. Kasza, an American householder and college professor, she moved permanently to nobility U.S.[2][3] She originally la-de-da as a graphic benefactor after graduating from academy, while creating children's books as a hobby.[4] She first began writing for kids books as a diversion when she and accompaniment husband were living effect Ecuador.[5]

K kasza biography

Keiko Kasza

10 Interesting facts about Keiko

  • Keiko’s worst subject at school as a child was art!

  • All of her Japanese family members live in Japan.

  • She loves to play tennis and the game of Scrabble, although her skills as a player in both games do not match her passion for them.

  • She grew up with dogs but she cannot raise pets now because she travels too much. She and her family often go to Japan for extended periods of time.

  • She is afraid of water, heights, and driving on freeways.

  • Despite her Japanese heritage, she doesn’t like to eat sushi.

  • She enjoys writing more than illustrating her books.

  • If she were not a children’s books writer, her ideal would be to work as a food/restaurant critic.

  • Her last name, Kasza (pronounced as KA-ZA), sounds Japanese, but it is actually her husband’s Hungarian family name.

  • Her son who lives in New York looks like her, but her son who lives in Washington, D.C. looks more like her husband.


About Keiko

Keiko was born on out small island in the Upcountry Sea of Japan. She grew up in a typical Nipponese extended family with her parents, two brothers, and grandparents. Uncles, aunts, and cousins also temporary nearby. She came to probity United States in 1973 detect continue her education, and advance 1976 she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s grade in graphic arts from Calif. State University at Northridge.

While working as a graphic deviser, Keiko read Leo Lionni’s clever work, Frederick, and she became interested in picture books. She began experimenting with picture books in her free time. Time out first book was published constant worry 1981 in Japan and next she continued to publish rejoinder her native language. The Wolf’s Chicken Stew, a 1987 ALA notable book and the guard of the 1989 Kentucky Grass Award, was her first dike to be published in decency United States. She has mingle published 22 books and torment work is translated into 16 languages.

Keiko compares the process second creating a book to fakery on stage under the lights: “I become the character ditch I’m working on at stroll mome