Project Overview

This picture book was created by a high school junior from the Kanu o ka ‘Aina New Public Charter School on The Big Island of Hawaii, a K – 12 Hawaiian-Immersion school. It was created for younger, elementary-aged students, as part of an extensive and ongoing effort to create culturally relevant bilingual curriculum materials for Hawaiian students.

The creation of curriculum materials is part of a larger effort to reintroduce Hawaiian students to native culture and language – helping them to reclaim traditional language before it is lost. As part of a larger movement in Hawaii, the Kamehameha Charter Schools are one of the leaders in this effort. A foundation connected with the charter schools, called the Kalo Foundation, arranged for the professional publication of these books and products. For more information visit www.kalo.org.

Few curriculum products are bilingual by design, and very few are created by students for students. This book, and others like it created by the school’s high school students, represent a powerful, useful project idea for schools anywhere: older students creating bilingual curriculum for younger students.

Many of these books tell a story, using the same illustrations/artwork, in English and native Hawaiian – hold it one way and the story can be read in Hawaiian to the center of the book –flip it over and it is the same story in English until the center of the book.

This book was created by one high school junior as a way to introduce younger students to tidal creatures. The simple sentences and stunning painted/collage images combine in a very appealing, professional looking children’s book. The school hosted a visiting artist from Oahu who taught the students the painted collage technique featured in this and other books produced for Hawaiian cultural immersion schools. 

This book, and others like it, may be purchased from the school or the foundation.