Hanako Masutani
June 26th, 2023
Former creative director of Ricepaper magazine, Hanako Masutani has published the children’s book, Emi and Mini (Tradewind $21.95), about a girl who wants a dog but instead gets a hamster she names Mini. Emiko (Emi) has recently moved with her single mother to the big city and is missing her friends and family far away. Emi wants a dog, like her cousins have, for her birthday but because of the apartment’s pet rules, must settle for a smaller animal in a cage. At first, Emi doesn’t tell anyone about her new pet but then Mini escapes from her cage and hides somewhere in the apartment. When Emi finally finds Mini, she realizes how much she has learned to love this pocket-sized pet. Mini becomes Emi’s confidante as she starts telling the hamster about the difficulties and, eventually, the possibilities of her new home. This story of change and resilience is illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Masutani also writes poems, other fiction and essays, which can be found in Geist, Grain, The New Quarterly and Riddle Fence, among other publications.
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