Sora and the Cloud take off

Our newest adventure is by Felicia Hoshino (www.felishino.com). Having illustrated many other stories, Felicia decided to write her first book, inspired by her very own son.

The result is Immedium's first Japanese American themed book, and its first title that features bilingual translation (in Japanese).

Sora and the Cloud enjoyed a launch party at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (www.jcccnc.org) in San Francisco, CA on December 10, 2011.

There the author and her pal Akiko Hisa (who translated the story into Japanese) read the tale, discussed their creative processes, and signed dozens (and dozens) of copies for supportive and eager readers.

Meanwhile families could enjoy a rainbow of fun, crafted by Felicia. They could take a photo with their very own Cloud and balloon, and make their own hand-held clouds. They could see up close the author's beautifully detailed artwork.

Of course, the delicious snacks were a hit and soon all gone!

Then Sora and the Cloud proceeded to fly over the Bay Area. They visited students at Rosa Parks and Clarendon elementary schoools and returned for their seasonal Performing Arts Nights. They touched down at ABC preschool and AIM Montessori in Berkeley.

This past weekend, they popped up at the Renegade Craft Fair's Holiday Market at the San Francisco Concourse. There among the DIY throngs, friends admired a little puffy slice of heaven.

"Sora" means "sky" in Japanese. One of the book's themes is that you can engage the world, explore it, and make meaning out of it. You can draw upon your experience and stretch your limits.

To that end, we will donate a percentage of book sales to Japan Earthquake Relief, to make this goal tangible for others around the world.

We hope to share Sora and the Cloud with more of you in 2012!