2026 Teen Readers’ Choice Awards Finalist
Congratulations to Misako Rocks! for Double Trouble: Lost in Japan (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan) being included on the 2026 Teen Readers’ Choice Awards Finalist list!
New Promo Video for Double Trouble: Lost in Japan
Check out Misako Rocks!'s promo video for Bounce Back 4: Double Trouble: Lost in Japan, just released on Amazon.
Misako Rocks! graphic novel deal with Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
Love Song by Misako Rocks! has sold to Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan in a 2-book deal.
In this upper middle grade graphic novel, rising J-pop star Sena travels to the U.S. to escape fame and discover her real self.
Editor Liz Szabla acquired World English rights, with publication planned for 2028.
Congratulations, Misako Rocks!!
Happy Pub Day to Misako Rocks’s Double Trouble: Lost in Japan
Celebrating the publication of Double Trouble: Lost in Japan by Misako Rocks!, out today from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan! This middle grade graphic novel is perfect for kids who love Japan and are fans of the Bounce Back series.
Twin sisters Angie and Kiara are spending part of their summer break in Japan with their friend Lilico and teammates from their basketball team. Kiara is nervous about the long flight and not speaking Japanese, but everyone is excited for the sights, the food, and the fashion. Then one of the twins gets lost in the middle of Kyoto, and the friends have to race across the city to find her. Along the way, the girls discover that teamwork matters off the court, too.
Early Praise
"A beautiful, easy introduction to Japanese culture with some familiar faces." - Booklist
Sample Pages
Rights
- Foreign Rights: Available via Macmillan
- Film/TV Rights: Available via New Leaf Literary
- Merch/Commercial Rights: Available via New Leaf Literary
For rights inquiries, please contact me at janna@jannaco.co.
2026/06/28: The Growing Demand for Kid-Friendly Manga: A Guide for Librarians panel
The Growing Demand for Kid-Friendly Manga: A Guide for Librarians panel
HOSTED BY: The American Library Association
WHEN: Sunday, June 28, 2026
WHERE: ALA Annual 2026, Chicago
Click here to RSVP or learn more.
Kid-friendly manga is one of the fastest-growing and most requested areas in children’s and middle grade collections—but it can also be one of the hardest to curate. With so many titles aimed at teens or adults, librarians often struggle to identify age-appropriate manga that still excites young readers.
In this session, manga creator Misako Rocks! (Bounce Back, Macmillan and How to Draw Kawaii Manga, Quarto); Briana Lawrence (The Essential Manga Guide, Running Press); and Sara Smith, a District Librarian for a rural district in California and the creator of The Graphic Library (Manga Goes to School: Cultivating Engagement and Inclusion in the K-12 Settings, ALA Editions), will explore the growing demand for kid-friendly manga and why it matters for school and public libraries. Together, they’ll provide practical strategies for discovering, evaluating, and promoting manga that works for middle grade readers. Attendees will leave with a collection development tips, and programming ideas to connect kids with manga they’ll love—while building stronger and more diverse manga graphic novel collections.
How to Draw Chibi with Misako Rocks!
Congratulations to Misako Rocks! on the publication of the third book in her "How to Draw Kawaii Manga" series: CHIBI Big Emotions! I recently caught up with her about everything she's doing this year -- it's a whirlwind!
You have a new book coming out, How to Draw Kawaii Manga: Chibi! Tell me a bit about it. What kind of a book is it? Who is it for?
This is my third activity book in the How to Draw Kawaii Manga series from Quarto. This one is called "CHIBI: Big Emotions!"
It’s perfect for anyone who loves drawing bubbly, kawaii (cute) characters and creating manga stories with chibi characters. It also makes a great gift!
Why are chibi characters so popular right now?
“Chibi” means “small” in Japanese.
Chibi characters are adorable little characters with oversized heads and tiny bodies. In manga, artists often turn characters into "chibi" versions when their emotions go wild, helping to show excitement, surprise, or strong feelings in a fun way! They're usually funny and wildly expressive, so that's why kids (and everyone) love them!
What are some of your favorite pages or moments in the book?
My favorite pages are pages 34 and 35, where I show regular manga bodies versus chibi bodies. Readers can clearly see the differences between the two styles. I hope this helps inspire them to create their own characters.
You’ve been posting drawing videos aimed at kids on YouTube for a while now, and you’ve posted some really fun ones recently! Why do you like teaching drawing to elementary aged kids so much?
I love how curious and passionate they are! They’re eager to learn manga and even Japanese culture. I’m constantly inspired by them while teaching.
What is different about teaching drawing to kids, versus teaching it to adults?
Older students enjoy learning more advanced manga drawing techniques because they’re able to focus on details.
Younger students can get overwhelmed by those details, so I try to keep things simpler. I love how they use their imagination to create fun manga characters.
I always keep their different capabilities in mind when teaching both groups.
You have a lot of fun stuff coming up this year to promote both of your book series, the Bounce Back series with Macmillan, and the How to Draw Kawaii Manga series with Quarto. What are some of the things you’re looking forward to?
I’m incredibly grateful to do what I do. This year, I’m especially excited to be releasing THREE fun and kawaii books (How to Draw Kawaii Manga Chibi, How to Draw Kawaii Manga Pets, and the fourth volume of the Bounce Back series, Double Trouble: Lost in Japan). It still feels a bit unreal to have that many books coming out!
I’m looking forward to visiting library conferences, book festivals, and schools to talk about my book projects and connect with readers and educators. I try to keep the events calendar on my website updated, but so much is always happening, it's hard to keep up!
I’ve also started putting more focus into my YouTube—finally—and I’m excited to share even more drawing content with young artists.
Where can people connect with you and find out more about How to Draw Kawaii Manga: Chibi?
Please sign up for my newsletter on my website, www.misakorocks.com to receive a FREE coloring book!
I’m also active on YouTube and Instagram. Please come visit me there too.
You can purchase How to Draw Kawaii Manga: CHIBI at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, and your favorite local bookstore. Thank you!