Anne Malinoski At home with Salina Yoon
Local author Salina Yoon is
Making Space for What Sparks Joy San Marcos author-illustrator
Salina Yoon wants to help with your New Year’s resolutions. “Less clutter frees the mind to fill it with more important things,” says the mom of two, whose books for children have sold 4.5 million copies worldwide. Her latest project is a collaboration with tidiness superstar Marie Kondo. Their charming picture book teaches children that an organized space makes playtime easier. Even better, it empowers kids to take part in the process of de-cluttering.
Salina Yoon and Marie Kondo
In Kiki & Jax, the Life-Changing Magic of Friendship, Kiki’s clutter gets in the way of lots of things, but most importantly, her friendship. Jax helps Kiki to embrace tidying—making space not only for her possessions, but for the things that matter most in life.
22 • SanDiegofamily.com • January 2021
“We hope that this story instills the value of prioritizing people over things and inspires children to tidy for fun— and for a space to play,” says Yoon. Yoon began her career at a small publishing house in Los Angeles. It was there, working as art director,
that she fell in love with the magic of children’s books. When she relocated to San Diego to marry local artist Christopher Polentz, Yoon didn’t apply for another publishing job. Instead, she chose to pursue writing and illustrating on her own. Yoon developed an innovative style for her children’s books, favoring interactive elements like flaps, tabs and wheels. Her early creations were designed with babies and toddlers in mind. It wasn’t until her own sons outgrew board books that she began to look closely at picture books.
