Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 11, 1 November 1991 — Keiki books teach Hawaiian culture lesson [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Keiki books teach Hawaiian culture lesson

by Gail Chun

The legend of the demigod Maui lives again through two children's books released this summer. "Maui Goes Fishing," written by Julie Stewart Williams, and "Maui and the Secret of Fire," by Suelyne Ching Tune, expertly bring old Hawaiian culture into children's education.

Both books recount two famous adventures of a young Maui. One is where he learns the secret of fire for his people and alters mud hens forever, and the other is where he uses magic to go deep-sea fishing with his three older brothers and catches an unprecedented "fish" from the sea. Both books use the vivid and beautiful illustrations of Robin Yoko Birmingham, a graduate of Punahou School, to visualize the tales for their young readers. Birmingham is currently with the Kamehameha Schools in the Midkiff Learning Center graphics department.

Tune and Wiiliams also work at Kamehameha Schools. Williams is director of the Kamehameha Schools Intermediate program, and has also written two other books, "And the Birds Appeared" and "Made in Hawaii." Tune is a teacher with the Kamehameha Schools Intermediate Reading Program at Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate School. Tune co-authored "Made in Hawai'i" with Williams and is the author of "How Maui Slowed the Sun." Both hardcover books are published by the University of Hawai'i Press and cost 1 9.95 eaeh. They are available at all loeal bookstores and the University of Hawai'i bookstore.

The adventures of Maui are featured in two new children's books. In one, Maui learns the secret of fire-making.

Maui's deep-sea fishing trip with his brothers hooks a special catch, the Hawaiian islands.