Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

Oh wow I’ve never heard of the traditional Hawaiian story (moolelo) of The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu that this story is based on! I also really appreciated the history given at the end about how even though the sacred stones themselves have been recovered and are now formally recognized, the history of the healers who infused their healing powers into the stones being Mahu (individuals with a blend of male and female mind, heart, and spirit) has gotten left out of the story. I also find it so beautiful that they chose to write this story in both English and Olelo Niihau due to it being the only uninterrupted form of Hawaiian in continual use since before colonization. It is also the language that would have been the closest to that which might have been spoken by the healers.

What a beautiful way to bring life and Mahu back to this traditional tale. The illustration is also stunning, with beautiful sun drenched colors used throughout and a very distinctive style.… (mais)

This is a Hawaiian folktale, written in Hawaiian and English. Wow, the images in this book are outstanding. Warm colors. The people are so expressive for drawings. The illustrations absolutely tell half of the story, along with the words. The story this tells is a somber one, stressing how colonization impacted their culture. The four characters who possess magical powers do not have a gender, making this a great book to share to model that all are welcome and appreciated. A librarian could read this book during one of the months when diversity is a theme or during a folktale unit.… (mais)