A new keiki book series published on Lānaʻi focuses on the island’s coastal regions to educate young readers.
The ʻāina-based series shares moʻolelo and photos of Lānaʻi's rich coastline. It’s written by mother-daughter duo Diane and Shelly Preza.
The books are geared toward young readers but Diane Preza said they have value for all ages.
“The books are so multilayered, where it's not just for teaching kids to read, but also spurs conversation about why things happen the way they happen on Lānaʻi," she said.
"So you can delve into the history of Lānaʻi just by looking at the photographs and spurs a lot of good conversation about the decisions that were made on this island in the past and how it's still affecting us now.”
As a former kindergarten teacher on Lānaʻi, Preza said she struggled to find nonfiction books for young readers that her students could relate to. Many talked about the mainland's changing seasons, which didn’t spark the students' interest.
“When I brought out a book about the beach they just were so excited. And they really could relate and share their own stories about their experiences at the beach. So that's when we kind of thought like, 'Hey, if we did something specific to Lānaʻi, how powerful that could be' because they really could connect that way.”
Preza said the text is accompanied by photos that are significant and recognizable for keiki from Lānaʻi and also educational for neighbor island students.
The books are available in both English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, giving Lāna’i's Hawaiian immersion program new reading material.
Preza said she didn’t learn many moʻolelo of her island until she was an adult and hopes to change that for today's keiki.
“We have some old photos and some that are just recent, like Kaumālapaʻu is one of the books and that's the harbor that we receive freight, our barge comes once a week, but it's also a place where families go to go fishing and many kids learn how to swim there. I learned how to swim at Kaumālapaʻu," she said.
"The memories that it holds for many of us when pineapple was being exported out of that harbor. So that harbor is very dear to us. And so when you look at the photos, I think it makes just the place come alive.”
Preza said she hopes the series will inspire those on other islands to create similarly place-based learning books for their keiki as well.
The books are published by the Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center and are available for purchase through the center's website.
