Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann Katagiri
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all started back in 2019, when I started my trilingual blog, “A Halfie’s Rambles”, providing free blog posts written in Japanese, English, and Mandarin Chinese. I saw there was no blog like this out there, so I created what I had hoped existed back when I was learning Chinese. The blog posts range from topics about travel and recipes to about me being a “halfie” (someone who is mixed: Japanese and Texan). I am also an avid promoter of “no-ads” and have made it my mission to keep all ads off of my blog to enable readers to focus on what is important — reading without distraction.
Fast-forward through traveling to 30 countries before I turned 30, I had been working jobs that didn’t appreciate what I was offering and finally decided that my happiness and dreams were my priority. I asked myself, “What would you most regret not doing?” and I knew that I had to make my dream of publishing my children’s book come true. I quit my job, incorporated under the name of my blog, and on December 20, 2023, I independently self-published my three debut bilingual children’s books. My illustrator, Yuriko, who is in Japan, did an absolutely wonderful job taking my sketches and turning them into gorgeous illustrations.
The 3 children’s books are written in the languages I speak as bilingual pairs: Japanese & English, English & Mandarin Chinese, and Mandarin Chinese & Japanese. These debut books of mine mean the world to me because they are told from a tabby cat’s perspective, but embody the story of the three children (me and my siblings) who lovingly raised him. Based on a true story, the story is narrated by the main character Den Chan, an orange tabby cat, who tells of his adventures of moving from Japan to Texas. It is written for anyone who is of any age interested in learning English, Japanese, or Chinese.
A lot of people think it’s a story of traveling or immigration, but it is actually neither. It is a story about a multicultural family who moved from one parent’s home country (Japan) to the other parent’s home country (United States). It is about trying something new, being open and curious to change, and how love from family can get you through anything in life.
I hope to encourage children to explore our vast world but also to encourage adults to read books at their own reading level and know that it is okay to do so, even if it is a picture book. I read Chinese children’s books all the time and I wish it wasn’t so taboo for adults to pick them up to learn a language, no matter your age.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If it’s a smooth road, then where are the fun challenges to solve?
Originally, like any sane aspiring author, I looked for publishing houses that could help me make my trilingual children’s book a reality. However, there were not any out there who had editors with all of the 3 language abilities that I needed. I chose the path to independently publish because it gave me a realistic avenue for my dream, the freedom to choose my illustrator, and the choice to support local rather than printing abroad. I also don’t like the idea of supporting big corporations like Amazon and how they take so much from authors. By doing my own thing, I am able to, in turn, live with the knowledge that I am not being controlled by algorithms and ads.
The most obvious struggle has been criticism from others for quitting my job. But since I had quit my job previously to pursue my dream of attending culinary school, it has sort of become a thing I do. I look at dreams not as something you simply tell others about, but as something you make come true. If you believe in yourself, others will start believing in you. You just gotta start somewhere and keep going.
As you know, we’re big fans of A Halfie’s Rambles LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
All 3 bilingual books are proudly printed and bound in DFW and everything sold on my website is also crafted in DFW. I believe supporting the community matters and I love being able to support other businesses while running my own. It is an honor to have the chance to say “I support local” and actually mean it in every way I run my business. Everything you purchase on my website or at an event will support local businesses, 100%.
Currently, I attend pop-up events, selling my books and other Den Chan goodies at different events and markets (find my schedule @DenChanTheCatBook on Instagram). My ultimate dream is to open a cafe based on the book’s story, in the DFW area, for cat and language lovers.
I am currently writing a sequel for my debut book (“Den Chan: The Cat Who Crossed the Ocean”) in Fort Worth while living with my adopted tabby kitten. I named her Mikan, which means ‘tangerine’ in Japanese.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Going to the park with my family and playing baseball while growing up in Japan. There was also this big river that ran through the park, so we would wade in the water trying to catch tadpoles until sunset.
Pricing:
- The price of the book is set at $22.22 because it connects directly with Japanese culture. Every year in Japan, February 22nd is celebrated as National Cat Day, as the date resembles the words “nyan nyan nyan” (meow meow meow).
- The price of the t-shirts are set at $28.28 because it connects directly with the Japanese language as the sound resembles the words “ni-ya ni-ya” (me-ow me-ow).
- The price of the cat stickers are $3.25 and ends with a $0.25 because in Japanese, “25” resembles the sound of “neko” (cat).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.halfiesrambles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denchanthecatbook
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AHalfiesRambles
- Other: https://www.halfiesrambles.com/category/den-chan-store
Image Credits
Akira Katagiri
