Kengi loves to draw, but their constant drawing—on walls, staircases, rolls of toilet paper, bathroom mirrors, school cafeteria tables, and more—annoys their parents, big sister, and school principal. Kengi is also frustrated that because their drawings “insisted on coming out. Everywhere,” many of the places they ended up were only temporary, wiped clean by others. One of Kengi’s teachers, however, suggests that Kengi visit a special place in the city, but reveals no details.
When Kengi follows her directions, they discover Mural Island, a set of walls where painters are free to paint what they will. Kengi recognizes Lorena, one of the artists there. They begin to paint, “beautifully, hilariously, joyfully.”
The next day, however, Kengi finds their work painted over by other artists. At first they are mad, until Lorena explains that all of the work on mural island is intended to be temporary, “so we just love it while it’s here.” Kengi steps back to reflect on the overlapping work of so many artists, and begins to paint again, seemingly now content to be part of the ever-evolving work of creation.
The story is a wonderful celebration of art and community, with a dash of subversion and an empowered, passionate protagonist, whose nonbinary identity is incidental to the tale. Author/illustrator Katie Yamasaki’s vibrant colors and dynamic layouts form the perfect backdrop to the text, creating a highly recommended book.
Kengi and all of the characters are Black.
