A girl is so eager to paint, her work ends up everywhere – all over the house, the school canteen tables, her sister's makeup mirror. There's only one thing for it – a graffiti wall in town. But by its nature and due to being very popular, nothing stays on the wall for long… This love-letter to the creative spirit looks very vivid and bright, even if the artwork from the girl character isn't exactly my cup of tea. It's something that celebrates the process and the impermanence of art, combined – which may be a strange concept for the very young to get round, but this has some pages with a fair few lines on, that help alert you to the intended readership. "Place Hand Here" from this creator was much better than this, but I still saw an enjoyable read, and something young artists could easily connect to – even more easily without the stupid pronoun mangling that costs it a star.

I love this story of a young artist who can't stop creating art that resonates for them. After learning about a place called Mural Island, Kengi spends a day working hard only to come back and see all their work painted over.
The author talks about how she learned this lesson after creating a mural on a building only to have the building torn down later. The point of creativity isn't permanence but the art and creativity itself.
I also liked the wonderful use of brilliant colors. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

While I can appreciate what the author’s intentions were with using gendered pronouns, writing this in third person with a non-binary MC was confusing. I read this in the NetGalley Reader and Kindle and the white lettering on such a bright colored paper made it very difficult to read too.

It was otherwise a colorful children’s book with a nice message. It seemed a little disjointed at times and could use some overall improvement with the writing. The intention is there, it just needs some perfecting.

Thank you NetGalley, and W.W. Norton and Company for an electronic copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved this read aloud book for our “murals” project we did for community service. This story really touches on how it only takes ONE adult to see a kids “weakness” and turn it into a huge STRENGTH! It also highlights the idea of giving kids a designated spot to do whatever actions they need to over just telling them not to do it. For example, instead of telling a kid to not rip any papers, try teaching them to just rip plain paper over the garbage instead of their assignment.

I loved loved loved the illustrations and the message of this book. I feel like the storyline/text could be improved a bit, but overall, this is a nice picture book about art to share with children. Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the arc.

Such a beautiful and colorful book. The beyond rainbow level of colors incorporated into every illustration makes this story so engaging.

In this book, we have a kid who loves to make art. They make art everywhere. So much so it gets out of hand, and they must be curtailed. They discover that there are places to make art as big and bold as you need it to be. This book is just as colorful as one would expect. What I really like is the main character Kenji is always listed as they. Children can read what they want into it or see themselves.

Absolutely gorgeous illustrations. easy to read story. diverse, inclusive, and much needed representation.

They painted on and on and on.. kenghi learns to keep own even when life says stop or your art gets painted over. Lovely bookk

This one was just ok for me. It was a little bit disjointed in places. I did love mural island and the illustrations though.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Drawing and painting art is like a living thing inside people like Kengi and they just can't stop. A lot of people don't understand, but there is a place called Mural Island where they can make everything colorful and learn that temporary art is valuable, too!
Katie Yamasaki is both author and illustrator of this understanding book. She is a muralist, so her color choices and depictions are remarkable and moving.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary advance uncorrected proof on Adobe Digital Editions from W. W. Norton & Company, Norton Young Readers via NetGalley. Pub Date Mar 11, 2025
#MuralIsland by #katieyamasaki #Norton Young Readers #LoveOfArt #NeedToArt #TemporaryArt #Illustrated #NetGalley #goodreads @bookbub #librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** Review @booksamillion @kobo @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #childrensbookcouncil @CBCBook #KidLit #pictureBook #bklynlibrary

SO colorful and wonderful and inclusive. ❤️ I love that no one was discouraging Kengi from drawing but giving them other options to show off their talents and flourish. Great read and my daughters loved all the pictures.

Thank you to Netgalley and this team for allowing me an advanced copy!

This story has such a beautiful message about finding a special place where you can truly be yourself! I really enjoyed the bright, colorful illustrations. While the art style isn’t exactly my personal favorite, I can see how many parents and caregivers would be drawn to it.

One of the things I love most about this book is all the little details. The child in the story uses they/them pronouns, and it’s so wonderful how that doesn’t make them any different from anyone else. I also love how the child finds a way to express their creativity and show who they are. And the message at the end is really touching – even though artwork may not last forever, we can still enjoy its beauty in the moment! It’s a lovely reminder for kids and grown-ups alike.

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”. (Buddha) This book is beyond beautiful - both in its overarching message to “appreciate the now” and its artwork. The artwork reminded me slightly of the book “Ish” but dialed up to an 11. The main character is a nonbinary child who loves to draw and learns how to not let the typical rules of school and parents stifle their creativity. I loved the inclusivity of Kenji and the diverse characters throughout the book and felt it would be great for an audience of 4-8 years old. This is definitely a book I would appreciate owning for my son.

Thank you to NetGalley, W. W. Norton and Katie Yamasaki for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mural Island by Katie Yamasaki features a non-binary child of color who loves to draw and paint. They paint and draw so much, they are destructive, ruining property not meant to be drawn and painted on. For a healthy solution, the teacher introduces the child to a street art-friendly neighborhood to a healthy outlet for their artistic habits. This book makes an excellent addition for parents collecting beautifully illustrated books, LGBTQ+ children's literature, and POC children's literature. With minimal text and expansive, full-page spread illustrations, I recommend this book for ages 4-7! I love the quality of the illustrations in this book, with purple shadows and vibrant colors!

Lots of fun, and so much color! Kids and adults will have fun looking through the vibrant pages and seeing Kengi create art.

Appreciate the Now

This is a universal year round book. It is written with the pronouns they/their. Kengi has the inspiration to create art everywhere they go, leaving their mark. Mural Island represents that their is community and like minded people, you just have to find the right space.

The illustration of the drawings really illuminates all of the places Kengi puts their art to life. Vibrant illustrations within the illustration pull your eyes into the art Kengi has created.

I received a free copy of this book from Katie Yamasaki and W. W. Norton & Company. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.

Mural Island is adorable and filled with a beautiful message and stellar art work!
I will definitely be receding this to customers at my store when it comes out and picking up a copy for the little ones in my life!

I thought that this book was a really lovely read!

Mural Island is a beautifully illustrated book about a child who loves to draw and share their art, they are looking for a way to display their art and they are pointed in the direction of Mural Island and they delightfully display their work... only to find that the next day it has been painted over by another artist, so they get to paint again and again, over and over.

We have a set of graffiti tunnels in London that has a similar concept and the art work there is stunning and the talent displayed it incredible and the book reminded me in a way of that.

I loved the illustrations, they really bring the book to life. It was very well written and a really enjoyable story about being yourself and being creative - there should be no bounds - it is a really inspirational book.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

Mural Island is a beautifully illustrated book about a child who loves to draw and share the art. The main character Kengi takes us on a drawing adventure that eventually leads the reader to Mural Island (with the help of an educator). And isn't every young child's dream to create without restrictions and limitations?! Beautifully written and illustrated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.