I’m thrilled to share the cover of Jasmine Toguchi Brave Explorer, book 5 in the Jasmine Toguchi chapter book series. Many thanks to Team Toguchi at Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, editor Grace Kendall, illustrator Elizabet Vukovic, designer Angela Jun, and always to my agent Tricia Lawrence! Look for this book on September 27, 2022. Pre-order personalized signed copies at Bank Square Books.
With more than 130,000 copies sold, this award-winning chapter-book series starring a spunky Japanese American heroine returns with four new standalone books set on a family vacation in Japan!
Toothbrush? Check. Her special journal? Check! Eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi—flamingo fan, tree climber, and top-notch messmaker—can hardly wait for her family vacation to Japan, and by the time their plane finally touches down, she’s ready to dive into their new adventure. There are so many things to see in Tokyo: Ramen Street, which she learns is not a whole street made of ramen; old temples with fancy gates; and Tokyo Tower, where you can even spot Mount Fuji on a good day.
But when they arrive, Jasmine finds herself unable to get away from her older sister Sophie’s crabby attitude. Plus there’s so much about Japan she didn’t know, and she seems to be getting in trouble right and left. Will Jasmine be able to cheer up her sister AND find her footing in a new country?
With her trademark humor and warmth, Debbi Michiko Florence weaves family drama and a fun introduction of Japanese culture into this delightful next chapter in Jasmine’s world.
