Mariko Tamaki is a Canadian artist and writer. Best known for her 2008 graphic novel Skim, she has also published several works of both traditional written fiction and non-fiction. She was born in Toronto, Ontario and studied English literature at McGill University, graduating in 1994. Skim won an Ignatz Award, a Joe Shuster Award and a Doug Wright Award in 2009, and was a nominee for the Children's literature category at the 2008 Governor General's Awards. Tamaki was also awarded an Honour of Distinction by the Dayne Ogilvie Prize, a literary award for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender writers in Canada, in 2012. On August 18, 2014, This One Summer, which was written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki was nominated for a Ignatz Award. This One Summer won the 2015 Michael L. Printz Award and the Caldecott Honor from the American Library Association.