Katie Yamasaki earned her BA from Earlham College and an MFA degree in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Yamasaki teaches fourth through eighth grade art at Ballet Tech, The New York City Public School for Dance. Prior to her graduate studies, she also taught Spanish in both the New York City and Detroit public schools. Yamasaki's murals can be found in schools, libraries, churches, theatres, and outdoor walls in New York City, Detroit, New Jersey, and Indiana. Her illustrated books for children range in theme from imaginative, whimsical tales, to weighty historical fiction and biography. She is deeply devoted to the use of public art and education as a vehicle for communication and social change.