Keika Yamaguchi is a children’s book illustrator, aspiring author, and animation professional residing in Los Angeles
Moving to Los Angeles from Tokyo, Japan at five years old, Keika had no choice but to rely on cues in pictures, gestures, and music from American TV shows and movies to adapt life in the United States. Picture books were an essential tool to help her learn English and left a strong impression on her childhood. She attended the Art Center College of Design, majoring in Visual Development for Storytelling, and interned at Made in Paradise Production founded by Carol Kieffer Police and Walt Disney Imagineering.
Fresh out of college, she illustrated Sick of Being Sick by Justin Sullivan, and re-discovered her passion and personal relationship to Children’s books. She not only fell in love with the process of creating books, but also with connecting to readers, librarians, educators, booksellers, friends, and peers in the children’s book community. She illustrated several published titles including Puddle Pug by Kim Norman, What About Moose by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca Gomez, and Teeny Tiny Toady by Jill Esbaum.
While working as art teacher and illustrating books, she was given an opportunity to work in the animation industry. As a dedicated student of both piano and music growing up and into adulthood, she was drawn to animation where art and music come together. After working as Color Designer at Dreamworks Television on shows such as Rocky and Bullwinkle, she joined Warner Brothers on Looney Tunes Cartoons. Within a year she was promoted from Color Designer to Background Painter to Assistant Art Director. She had the honor of creating the main colorings of popular characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, as well as painting the Bugs Playing Piano and Bugs as Mermaid official USPS postage stamps.
After working at Warner Brothers, she was hired as the Art Director on Frog and Toad at Titmouse Studios. The project turned out to be a special opportunity to pay a tribute to the beloved children’s book series with fellow artists who shared the same passion for the books as she.
Keika currently lives with her wife Eve who’s a horror writer, and is a cat mom to Bob and Miso. She has a big love for the environment, and does whatever she can to help reduce her impact. For leisure she enjoys educating herself on native plants, chatting with her friends, hiking, playing video games and board games, watch a variety of fun shows, reading and browsing books, and playing the piano.
Art of Change 2023 (A spread), KickStarter
Thunder Pug by Kim Norman, 2019, Union Square Kids (formerly Sterling Publishing)
Teeny Tiny Toady by Jill Esbaum, 2016, Union Square Kids (formerly Sterling Publishing)
What About Moose? by Corey Rosen Schartz and Robecca Gomez, 2015, Simon and Schuster
Puddle Pug By Kim Norman, 2014, Union Square Kids (formerly Sterling Publishing)
Sick of Being Sick by Justin Sullivan 2012, self published (3dal LLC)
Big Golden book Wreck-it Ralph 2012 by RH Disney (a page and spot illustration)
Books
Clients
Titmouse Inc.
Warner Brothers Animation
DreamWorksTV
Union Square Kids (formerly Sterling Publishing)
Simon & Schuster
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Walt Disney Imagineering
Teach And Sing Inc. DBA Heidisongs
3dal LLC
PepperMelon (Sony)
Q Pop
Recognitions
& exhibitions
USPS Postage Stamps : Bugs Playing Piano and Bugs as Mermaid 2020
Q Pop : Kayōkyoku Art Show 2019, Yokai Show 2016, Tatsunoko 2015, Unicat & Caticorn Artshow 2015, Tokusatsu 2 Show 2013, Monkey King 2013
Center for the Arts Escondido : Writing with Pictures Exhibition 2015
Southern California Independent Booksellers Association : Book Award Nomination 2014
Society of Illustrators : The Original Art Show 2014
SCBWI LA : Winter Kite Tales 2012 - Illustrator’s Gallery
SCBWI LA : Illustrator’s Day - Judge’s Portfolio Award 2012
Pasadena Art Center College of Design : Art Center Gallery Spring 2008
Pasadena Art Center College of Design : Art Center Deans List Spring 2007, Summer and Fall 2009, Spring 2010
Press
2021
HBO Max and Warner Bros. Animation: Looney Tunes Cartoons | Comic-Con Panel Watch here
2016
Teeny Tiny Toady listed as one of The Best Picture Books of 2016 on Kirkus Reviews Click here
Kirkus Star Review on Teeny TIny Toady Read here
2015
Kirkus Reveiw on What About Moose? Read here
Events
Store Signings:
Gallery Nucleus 2023
Once Upon A Time Book Store 2016
Vromans Bookstore 2016
The Last Bookstore 2016
Linden Tree Books 2016
Festivals:
LA Time Book Festival 2016, 2014
Spokane Zine Fest 2023
Tots, Tweens, & Teens Children's Lit Fest 2016 (panel)
Other Events:
Once Upon a Time Educator’s night 2014
College Guest Speaker:
Art Center College of Design 2019
Rhode Island School of Design 2021
Cal State Long Beach 2021
School Visits:
Dunsmore Elementary School (Book Fair) 2015
Canoga Park Elementary 2015
Sequoyah School 2015
Glenoaks Elementary (Read Across America Night) 2015
Library Book Signings:
Casa Verdugo Library 2019, 2016
El Segundo Library (Author Fair) 2017