New Deal: I Am A Bon Dancer

Mora Couch at Holiday House has acquired world rights to I Am a Bon Dancer by Brandi-Ann Uyemura, illustrated by Amy Matsushita-Beal. This picture book debut focuses on a Japanese American girl’s celebration of the Obon Festival—the celebration of departed souls—as well as the larger story of the Japanese diaspora and the Japanese community in Hawaii. Publication is planned for summer 2025; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and the artist was unagented.