In the middle of the great Pacific Ocean sits a little island. Her name is Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe. This is the smallest Hawaiian island, sacred to Native Hawaiians. Kahoʻolawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People shares the island’s history from its formation long ago to its present-day restoration as a protected site, highlighting hope, resilience, and aloha ‘āina (deep love of the land).
Today we are joined by author Kamalani Hurley as she speaks on the inspiration for the book, surprising research, and more! Read on to find a pronunciation guide and pictures from the book launch at Native Books in Honolulu, Hawaii.
What is your book about? Why did you want the story published?
For me, the story of Kahoʻolawe is one of loss and erasure, sacrifice and dedication and ultimately of restoration and resilience. It’s the true story of how young Native Hawaiians organized a grassroots effort that dared to face down the mighty United States military. Their resolve to risk everything for aloha ʻāina – a deep love of the land – is a beacon for the Hawaiian people and for people everywhere who fight against social and environmental injustice.
Kahoʻolawe: The True Story of an Island and Its People is a rarity: a picture book in the Native Hawaiian worldview by Native Hawaiian author and illustrator.
What inspired you to write the book?
I was inspired by the real-life stories of the brave early Hawaiian activists, including Noa Emmett Aluli, Walter Ritte, George Helm, Charlie Maxwell, and many others, whose sacrifices gave rise to to the protect Kahoʻolawe movement and the founding of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO) grassroots organization.
Like many of my generation, I grew up believing that Kahoʻolawe was a barren rock, her only worth being a target for the US military. The Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s helped Hawaiians like me to learn our true history. PKO’s humble beginnings during the Hawaiian Renaissance led to a 40+ year legal and moral fight to wrestle the island back and then to restore the island environmentally and culturally for the Hawaiian people.
My goal is to show young readers how the fight for the island of Kahoʻolawe has always been led by people who love her. The story introduces the principles of standing up and being counted, of being persistent and never giving up even in the face of overwhelming odds, and, in the Hawaiian way of thinking, seeking guidance from elders and ancestral knowledge.
What is the most surprising thing you discovered while researching or writing the book?
Two discoveries surprised me during the research process for the book. The first was newspaper descriptions of the horrific widespread destruction to the island and surrounding waters that activists Noa Emmett Aluli and Walter Ritte reported in January 1976. Among the bomb craters and unexploded ordnance, they found evidence of early life, including homes and shrines, that had been obliterated. Their discoveries helped spark the movement to protect the island. I admit that I didn’t fully understand the depths of their shock and dismay until I read their firsthand accounts.
The second surprise discovery was relayed to me by my daughter who had just returned from her first trip to the island. She saw feral cats everywhere. The cats pose a dreadful threat to seabirds, their eggs, and newly hatched chicks. One scientist told her of instances of flocks of seabirds not being able to land for fear of attack by cats. The feral cat problem was a surprise to me. I’d known about the history of the uncontrolled population of grazing goats, but the current problem of cats is heartbreaking evidence of the continued hardships Kahoʻolawe faces.
What inspired you to write the story as a nonfiction picture book for children instead of other formats?
Actually, the story began as a class assignment for Candace Fleming’s course offered through the Writing Barn. A wonderful author and teacher, Candace showed us how scenes make nonfiction text more exciting and interesting for middle grade readers. By the end of the six weeks, I had a proposal and a solid first chapter called The Fight for Kahoʻolawe ready for submission. Since at the same time I was also taking short courses on writing children’s picture books, I decided to try turning the middle grade book into a 32-page picture book. My hope was that the shorter version might appeal to the school-age audience—and their teachers and librarians—that I was aiming for.
How do you strike a balance between providing factual information and keeping the content accessible and engaging for young readers?
I am grateful to the amazing Carol Hinz who allowed me to write a layered text. That means that within the single spread are two levels of text: an “easier” text that’s accessible for younger readers and an information-packed text that older readers and their adults might appreciate. The inspiration for the layered texts was based on a terrific presentation I’d attended by award-winning author Melissa Stewart.
Can you share a bit about your collaboration with the illustrator? How do you work together to bring the text and visuals to life?
Harinani Orme is an artistic genius. In fact, I love working with Hari so much that I call her tita, Hawaiian for sister! She was able to take the text for each spread and make the history and culture come alive. Hari’s mastery is not just in the art but also in the historic accuracy, which is so important for a non-fiction book. I am forever grateful to Carol for her agreeing to engage a Native Hawaiian illustrator. I know that the art by any other illustrator would’ve been good, but in Hari’s hands, the art is now authentic.
What was your favorite thing about creating this book?
I like to think I became a better communicator. I’m a retired writing professor, and in my business writing courses, I taught the students the importance of word economy: using the fewest number of words to get their points across. Yet nothing prepared me for writing this children’s book. I needed to figure out not just how to use fewer words but also how to employ lyrical language and other strategies to appeal to my young readers.
For example, because so much of Kahoʻolawe’s story has a negative edge, I revised the refrains to reflect a more positive and hopeful tone. So instead of the original “Kahoʻolawe is frail,” the text is now “Kahoʻolawe endures,” and “Kahoʻolawe is struggling” became “Kahoʻolawe inspires.” While I know I still have a long way to go to improve my writing skills, I am thankful that this book gave me the opportunity to hone my skills under the watchful eye of my fantastic hands-on agent, James McGowan.
What do you hope readers will learn or discover from reading your book?
To me, the book’s cover illustrates what I want my readers to learn from the book: that the key to protecting and restoring Kahoʻolawe was and continues to be people – friends and families, school children and kupuna, native and non-natives alike – standing united under a just cause, facing the future with aloha and with determination.
For my child readers, I want them to understand that concept of aloha ʻāina – a deep and abiding love for the land – is not just a Hawaiian ideal. Wherever they live, they can aloha ʻāina, too, by getting involved with their school and community to address local environmental issues. ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia – Many hands make light work.
Praise for Kahoʻolawe
★ “A stunningly beautiful book that tells the story of destruction, devastation, and resilience, of both the human and natural world. . . The artwork tells the story in dramatic, compelling, and beautiful ways. Together, text and art will engage readers from the first page.” — starred, School Library Journal
“This beautifully illustrated picture book introduces the smallest and only uninhabited island, Kaho’olawe. Painted illustrations with bold colors, thick brushstrokes, and rich textures enhance three layers of text.” — Booklist
Pronunciation Guide
To help readers and educators dive into the story, Kamalani has created an audio pronunciation guide on her website. Explore the words and phrases from Kahoʻolawe in the Hawaiian language (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi).
Kahoʻolawe launch party
On February 8th Kamalani Hurley and Harinani Orme presented their picture book to readers for the first time at Native Books in Honolulu, Hawaii. Take a look at Kamalani Hurley’s blog post for all the fun details and photos!
Connect with the Author and Illustrator
Kamalani Hurley is a kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) writer from Honolulu. She grew up in the working-class urban neighborhood of Pālama and is a proud graduate of the Kamehameha Schools. Kamalani’s stories are rooted in her Indigenous community, and they invite readers to explore the islands’ rich cultural traditions. An avid reader and gardener, she lives in Hawaiʻi with her family.
Harinani Orme is a Native Hawaiian artist who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and a Master of Fine Arts degree at the Pratt Institute in New York. Currently, her works focus on the myths, legends and traditions of old Hawaiʻi. She sees her works as an ongoing process of experimentation, harvestation and assemblage until the emerging images takes a life form of its own.
