American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 41 (2020) Winner
Harmony Becker
ハーモニー・ベッカー
Hāmonī Bekkā
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Japanese
- Residence History
- Cincinnati (birthplace) → Washington, D.C. (volunteering / studied Korean) → Columbus, Ohio (attended art school briefly) → South Korea (short-term study / volunteering) → Mexico City (based)
Career
- Occupations
- Graphic novelist, Illustrator, Comics artist, Webcomicist
- Active Years
- 2015-
- Influenced By
- Studio Ghibli
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art school in Columbus, Ohio (unnamed) | — | — | — | — | United States |
Art school in Columbus, Ohio (unnamed)
Country:
United States
Dropped out; pursued comics while working as a waitress
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature | Himawari House | — | Kirkus Reviews | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (associated work) | They Called Us Enemy (illustrator) | — | Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature | 受賞（作品に対する受賞） |
| 2020 | Silver Reuben Award (division winner, associated work) | They Called Us Enemy (illustrator) | — | National Cartoonists Society | 受賞（作品に対する受賞） |
| 2020 | American Book Award (associated work) | They Called Us Enemy (illustrator) | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞（作品に対する受賞） |
| 2020 | Eisner Award (associated work) | They Called Us Enemy (illustrator) | — | Eisner Awards | 受賞（作品に対する受賞） |
Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature
2022
Work:
Himawari House
Organization:
Kirkus Reviews
Result:
受賞
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (associated work)
2020
Work:
They Called Us Enemy (illustrator)
Organization:
Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
Result:
受賞（作品に対する受賞）
Silver Reuben Award (division winner, associated work)
2020
Work:
They Called Us Enemy (illustrator)
Organization:
National Cartoonists Society
Result:
受賞（作品に対する受賞）
American Book Award (associated work)
2020
Work:
They Called Us Enemy (illustrator)
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞（作品に対する受賞）
Eisner Award (associated work)
2020
Work:
They Called Us Enemy (illustrator)
Organization:
Eisner Awards
Result:
受賞（作品に対する受賞）
Awards & Nominations
Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2022) Winner
Works
Major Works
Himawari House
2021 Graphic novel (Young readers)A Japanese American girl reconnects with her heritage while living in a shared house in Japan, exploring identity, belonging, and found family.
Multicultural identityReconnecting with heritageComing-of-ageCommunity and found family
They Called Us Enemy (illustrator)
2019 Graphic memoirA graphic memoir of George Takei's childhood internment and family history; Becker served as an illustrator on the project.
InternmentMemory and historyRace and identity
It Rhymes with Takei (illustrator)
2025 Graphic memoirGeorge Takei's second graphic memoir; Becker illustrated the book, which covers his life and process of coming out.
Self-acceptanceLGBTQ+ narrativesAuthor life story
Bibliography
- They Called Us Enemy (illustrator, 2019)
- Himawari House (2021)
- It Rhymes with Takei (illustrator, 2025)
- Webcomic: Himawari Share
- Webcomic: Love Potion
- Webcomic: Anemone & Catharus
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Warm, expressive lineworkQuiet, empathetic depiction of emotionSlice-of-life attention to everyday detail
- Recurring Motifs
- Shared houses / communal livingExploration of culture and rootsConnection through food and everyday rituals
Legacy
Becker is recognized as an author-illustrator who sensitively portrays multicultural young protagonists. Her contributions to young readers' literature, notably with Himawari House, have been praised for empathetic storytelling that resonates with younger generations.
Trivia
- Her mother is Japanese; she describes growing up in a multicultural household.
- One of her first professional comics jobs was illustrating George Takei's They Called Us Enemy.
- Her debut solo graphic novel Himawari House was published in 2021 and won the 2022 Kirkus Prize.
- She briefly attended art school in Columbus before dropping out and pursued comics while working as a waitress.
- She is currently based in Mexico City.