Sheila Hamanaka has been illustrating children’s books since 1987. She is best known for her books on peace and multiculturalism. Her award-winning book “The Journey” is based on a five-panel mural she painted about the history of the Japanese in America. It centers on the concentration camps in which her parents were jailed during World War II. Her popular “All the Colors of the Earth” celebrates the diversity of children and parents. Hamanaka’s work with the Animal Welfare Institute reflects her deep concern for all living things and for our home, Mother Earth. “A Dangerous Life,” a graphic novel, offers a unique historical approach to the international campaign to save elephants, and it was recently translated into Chinese and distributed free to school children in mainland China. Sheila lives in New York City, her hometown.