The Northland Beckons
An Illustrated Haiku Journey
Written by Sandra Hisakuni
Illustrated by Sofia Hisakuni
The Northland Beckons
Breathe, paddle, wander, observe
Much will be revealed
Journey to the beautiful Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Canada. This sweet collection of haiku poetry allows readers to explore nature and meet the animals who call this treasured wilderness home. In our busy, tech-filled lives, author and illustrator, mother-daughter team Sandra and Sofia Hisakuni, invite you to slow down and explore the wonders of nature through the ancient art of haiku. They draw upon their extensive experience of living in Japan and camping through the canoe country of Northern Minnesota and Canada. Through creative haiku, vibrant illustrations and author commentary, readers learn of this treasured land. For those who are familiar with Northlands canoe country, it is a reminder to come home to our shared wilderness. our story
Sandra and Sofia's story travels between Minnesota, Japan, and then back again to the United States. Sandra grew up in Minnesota with an enduring love of the whispering pines of Minnesota's northwoods lake country. Due to her adventurous nature, she traveled to Japan and as cosmic humor dictates, lived in Komatsushima (Little Pine Island) City on Shikoku Island. She raised two children in this rural area of Japan that is cozily tucked in by mountains, rivers, rice fields, and the Pacific Ocean. Sofia grew up in this environment and cherishes the gift of coming from a culture that honors art, beauty, and functionality in every aspect of life. The love of reading picture books in both Japanese and English has always been a source of joy for Sofia and Sandra. Sofia has been drawing pictures for the stories she and her mom have come up with since she could hold a crayon, both laughing at the interesting tails in a combination of English and Japanese. They both now live in the United States, but continue to seek out place of natural beauty and solace. They are thrilled to have brought this long-held dream of creating a book together to fruition. 
