Blog

Kaho’olawe at ALA Chicago 2026!

July 8, 2026 No Comments

After a full day of travel, Tim and I finally landed in Chicago for the American Librarians Association (ALA) Convention to be held the weekend of June 26 through the 28. Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People, illustrated by Harinani Orme, was being honored with the APALA (Asian Pacific ALA) Pasifika Picture Book Award! Hundreds of vendors and thousands of people filled the vast McCormick Center. On our first day, we made a beeline to Lerner’s exhibition space where I finally met my dream editor, Carol Hinz, in person!

Announcing I AM MOANA and I AM MAUI Little Golden Books!

June 2, 2026 No Comments

Dear readers, please allow me to share a dream-come-true with you. Like many of you, I grew up reading Little Golden Books. The stories were sometimes silly, sometimes serious but always fun and inspiring. I loved them all. Growing up in the rough-and-tumble urban neighborhood of Kalihi-Pālama, I never imagined that one day I would have the chance to WRITE not one LGB … but two. I am thrilled that I AM MOANA and I AM MAUI (Disney/Golden) are out in the world today!

Interview with I am a Bon Dancer author Brandi-Ann Uyemura

April 7, 2026 2 Comments

As readers of this blog know, we highlight the talented creators of our AANHPI — Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander — community. We are excited that our longtime friend, Brandi-Ann Uyemura, has a new book out this month! A lot has happened since we first featured her in 2022. She recently sat down to talk story and catch us up about her debut picture book, I am a Bon Dancer.

Book Review: I AM A BON DANCER by Brandi-Ann Uyemura

April 7, 2026 No Comments

Hawai’i is blessed with a diverse population, in large part due to our sugar plantation history. Hard-working people from far away places as China, Portugal, Japan, Puerto Rico, the Korean peninsula, the Philippines, and Russia settled here, raising their families and contributing to what has become our unique local culture. This is reflected in the delightful debut picture book, I am a Bon Dancer, written by fifth-generation Japanese American Brandi-Ann Uyemura…

Kahoʻolawe wins a Blueberry Changemakers Award for 2025!

March 21, 2026 2 Comments

Mahalo nui to the Evanston Public Library and the Blueberry Committee for awarding KAHO’OLAWE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN ISLAND AND HER PEOPLE a 2025 Changemakers Award! The story of the island and the people who love her will inspire readers everywhere. Kaho’olawe Aloha ʻĀina!

Kaho’olawe Book Pāʻina at daShop!

March 5, 2026 No Comments

daShop: books+curiosities in Kaʻimukī was the place to be on Saturday, February 28! Its parent company, Bess Press, hosted us in an epic book signing and art+writing pāʻina (party). Mahalo nui to David Deluca (Publisher and Coo), Kristen Namba Reed (Director of Publishing, Trade), Sarah Deluca (Director of Literacy and Curriculum Design), Dimpna Figuracion (Educational Partnerships Manager) and Jen Yoneshige (Operations Manager) for making the event so much fun! The space was filled with so much aloha! What made this event so special is that the book’s illustrator, Harinani Orme, came prepared with her sketches and notebooks. She took the audience on a journey, from her research process and preliminary sketches to the final paintings that made it into the book.Best of all, we talked story with the librarians, teachers, readers, parents, and grandparents in the audience who had brought their children. Our hope is that more people will learn the story of Kahoʻolawe and how the little island continues to thrive today. Please enjoy these photos of the event. Mahalo nui!

Interview with writer Hannah Kaʻiulani Colburn

February 25, 2026 No Comments

Native Hawaiian journalist Hannah Kaʻiulani Colburn is a digital news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio and an in-demand freelancer for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Ka Wai Ola O OHA. Many of her articles focus on the native community. Her wide-ranging interviews reveal the vibrant artistic community that’s thriving in Hawai’i. Today we talk story with Hannah about her writing life.

What a year 2025 was!

December 31, 2025 No Comments

2025 was an amazing year! I am so grateful!

This banner year began with the launch party at Native Books of my debut children’s book, Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People. The book was a dream come true and three years in the making. Mahalo to owner Maile Meyer and her incredible staff for hosting us!

Then came the wonderful news that the book was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection! By the end of the first quarter, Kaho’olawe had earned starred reviews by the School Library Journal and by Kirkus.

I’m always up to talk about the book, and so I did in a flurry of interviews and posts during the summer and fall. Even more fun was attending several book events with the book’s talented illustrator, Harinani Orme.

We ended the year in the best way imaginable — Kaho’olawe was honored on FIVE national Best of 2025 lists:

Kahoʻolawe is on Betsy Birdʻs 31 Lists for 2025 American History!

December 30, 2025 No Comments

I love Betsy Bird’s 31 Lists blog. So imagine my delight that Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People is included in her 2025 American History list! So grateful!

Hawaiʻi Public Radio Interview!

December 19, 2025 No Comments

What started out as a bit scary turned out to be such fun! I’d never been interviewed for public radio before, so I was nervous. Editor Catherine Cluett Pactol made me feel right at home. Honestly, I can talk about the book all day, and I think I did! Because of time and space limitations, she couldn’t include everything we’d talked about. She did a great job in focusing on the best parts for the interview. BUT what was left out was my heartfelt aloha for the book’s wonderful illustrator, Harinani Orme. Harinani’s art is richly textured and vividly colorful and based on tons of research. She is amazing, and I am grateful to call her my friend.
Catherine asked for a photo of me with the book. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like being photographed, but duty called! So out to our lanai I went with my husband, Tim, in tow.
Mahalo to Hawai’i Public Radio for featuring Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People!