Illustrated by Yas Imamura

On Sale: Feb 10, 2026
Page Count: 32 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780316281126

$18.99

$24.99 CAD

Format

Hardcover

Format:

Hardcover $18.99 $24.99 CAD

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This stunning picture book spins an original tale that explains the power and meaning behind the Japanese concept of mono no aware—a bittersweet yet ultimately hopeful celebration of life’s ever changing nature and fleeting beauty.

“We wait for so long, and when they finally come, the petals fall so quickly. Mono no aware, ne?”

“What does that mean, mono no aware?”

Little Yuna can’t wait for her great-grandmother’s cherry tree to bloom. She and her hībāchan spend each day outside, watching the tree’s flowers unfurl. But once the tree blooms, the moment is so brief before it loses its petals again—this is what her hībāchan calls mono no aware. It isn’t until her great grandmother—and the petals she loves—are gone that Yuna finally understands what the phrase really means: an awareness of something’s impermanence.

Critically acclaimed illustrator Yas Imamura (Love in the Library) has created stunning artwork to accompany this profound text. Readers will love pouring over these pages again and again!

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Katrina Goldsaito

About the Author

Katrina Goldsaito’s favorite sound is the sound of bare feet on tatami mats. In Tokyo, she worked as an on-camera TV journalist and producer for NHK-World, and has written for National Geographic, The Christian Science Monitor, NPR, and The Japan Times. She lives near Golden Gate Park with her husband and son, and spends her days eating avocados and working on her first YA novel.

Learn more about this author