PNBA Award Celebration with Kelly Goto

Sam Goto's Seattle Tomodachi cartoons illuminate Japanese American life in the 20th century. Sam Goto's daughter Kelly Goto explores his legacy in this stunning, full-color collection. On February 27th, join us to celebrate Kelly Goto, winner of a 2026 PNBA Book Award!

chronicles the life and legacy of Sam Goto and his Seattle Tomodachi cartoons. Between 2012 and 2018, Sam Goto drew over 250 multi-paneled Seattle Tomodachi (“friend of Seattle”) comic strips for The North American Post. These comics chronicled the lives and stories of early Japanese settlers and their American-born offspring. Through his work, he captured elements of culture, nostalgia, and history, while infusing his characters—Shigeru Tomo and his alterego Samurai Shigeru—with the samurai values of courage, respect, and continuous improvement and compassion. This event is free and open to the public.

For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

This event is free to attend. Registration is recommended in advance.

Please note: While RSVP helps us anticipate attendance, your RSVP may not guarantee a seat. Seating is first-come, first-served, and all events at our Ravenna neighborhood store are free and open to the public. Only standing room may be available for events with high interest.

We are happy to accommodate any accessibility concerns. Please contact us at [email protected] or call our Ravenna store at (206) 525-2347.

Seattle Samurai: A Cartoonist's Perspective of the Japanese American Experience by Kelly Goto is a deeply personal and cultural exploration through the lens of her father, Sam Goto's, comic strip, "Seattle Tomodachi." The central character, Samurai Shigeru, embodies the samurai's code of loyalty, honor, and honesty, reflecting the values of the first Japanese immigrants and their descendants in the Pacific Northwest. Sam’s illustrations not only portray Japanese traditions but also his own experiences as he navigated the balance between maintaining cultural heritage and pursuing the American dream.
The book not only honors Sam Goto’s artistic legacy but also provides an understanding of how Japanese culture and samurai values influence the newest generation’s attitudes and behaviors. The compilation of his work in this book has been a journey for Kelly, threading together family history and forming a tapestry of identity, culminating in a profound sense of coming home.

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) is a non-profit association of independent bookstores from five Northwest states, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia. The Association produces educational and promotional events and materials for its members and offers literacy, free speech, and author promotional vehicles through its member stores.

Since 1965, our annual Book Awards have recognized such luminary figures in Northwest literature as Ivan Doig, Ursula K. Le Guin, David James Duncan, Cheryl Strayed, Jonathan Evison, Molly Gloss, Chuck Palahniuk, and Brian Doyle. Many of these authors were honored by PNBA before they received national attention. A history of past winners of the Pacific Northwest Book Award can be viewed on the Book Awards homepage.

PNBA's Awards Committee is comprised of eight volunteer booksellers from throughout our member region. This year's Committee considered almost 300 nominated titles published during October 2024-September 2025 for the 2026 award.

Kelly Goto is a global lecturer, educator and author of the industry classic, Web Redesign 2.0: Workflow That Works. Goto currently heads up gotomedia, a global leader in research-driven strategy and solutions for digital products and connected experiences. Kelly grew up as a fourth-generation Japanese American in the drizzly weather of the Pacific Northwest, starting her calligraphy and graphic design businesses while in elementary school—a precursor to her entrepreneurial future. She played Chieko in the stage production of The Gold Watch in 1977, where she learned about racism and anti-Japanese sentiment after Pearl Harbor. Kelly hopes to simplify content so the tech-addicted new generation might engage with it—hoping stories of culture, history, and wisdom might be better understood. She returned to Seattle in 2020 after three decades away, and now lives in her childhood home with her genki 85-year old mom, Dee, two teenage daughters, and a playful Bernedoodle named Suki.

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.

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