Postcards from Malcolm X Cover Reveal!

I’m excited to announce the release of my newest picture book, scheduled for October 13, 2026.

I struggled for a long time to write a picture book biography about Yuri Kochiyama. Most people haven’t heard of her. She preferred to help in the background and not be front and center. Most people have heard of Malcolm X, and they know that he died in the lap of a woman. That woman was Yuri. But why was she there at his assassination, running on stage to help? Well … this is the story of their friendship, and how Malcolm X can also be viewed as an incredible teacher. Someone who can take complicated subjects and make them understandable. He was her teacher, mentor, and friend.

Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown, and published by Red Comet Press

A moving portrait of Yuri Kochiyama—an ordinary woman who became an extraordinary activist—and her bond with Malcolm X

When Japanese American activist Yuri Kochiyama shook Malcolm X’s hand at a courthouse in 1963, it sparked a transformative friendship built on justice, solidarity, and hope. In Postcards from Malcolm X, Mia Wenjen and illustrator Keith Henry Brown trace Kochiyama’s remarkable journey from a small-town girl in California to a fearless advocate for human rights. Her experiences—her father’s death at the hands of the FBI, her family’s internment during World War II, and her work with Japanese American soldiers—shaped a life of activism that connected her to Harlem’s civil rights struggle and, ultimately, to Malcolm X himself. Through accessible, narrative storytelling and evocative art, this book introduces readers to an unsung hero of the civil rights movement and to the extraordinary friendship between two leaders from different communities, bound by a shared vision of equality. Featuring original postcards from Malcolm X, extensive back matter, and a detailed timeline, this is both a powerful history and an inspiring call to action for young readers. [picture book biography, ages 7 and up]

and now…

ta…

da..

the cover…

p.s. Related posts:

86 Children’s Books for Young Activists

13 Children’s Books with Youth Activists: The Kids Will Save Us!

Activists & Activism: New Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Kit

Book Announcement! Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist

Cover Reveal for Fight for the Right to Read

10 Picture Books About Women Scientists Who Became Activists

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My books:

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian): The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to Eat

California Eureka Non-Fiction Gold Award
Junior Library Guild Gold Selection

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación

⭐ Starred review from Kirkus
⭐ Starred review from Publishers Weekly
Kirkus: The Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

The Traveling Taco: The Amazing and Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods

California Eureka Non-Fiction Silver Award
Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court

ALSC Notable Children’s Book
2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025 (International Literacy Association)
Junior Library Guild Gold Selection