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Welcome to our latest interview with Native Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi writers!  Author Dani Hickman is the author of four delightful children’s books published by Island Heritage. 

Hi, Dani. For those who haven’t met you, could you please tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a married local girl with four adult children. My youngest, who co-authored two of my books (How About a Pineapple? and Tako Lends a Helping Hand) just went off to college. My home in Waipio is still full with four dogs, one cat and one very fat beta fish. My day job is in Human Resources at a local adult in-home care service.

Where did you grow up? What high school did you grad from?

I’m a townie who graduated from McKinley High School. Go Tigers!

Indeed! Who is your biggest supporter?

My husband, Jeff, is my partner in all things. From raising the kids, to editing my writing, to being my arm candy at author events, Jeff has always been my rock. He is a Kamehameha grad and retired National Guard Veteran. His feedback and contributions in my stories definitely helps me add more “flavor” to anything I do.

Why did you become a writer? What inspired you to write for children?

I’ve always written short stories and poems since I was little. Publishing always seemed like something that was too difficult to achieve and I had no idea where to even begin. I had a co-worker, Tammy Paikai, who published a few children’s books and inspired me to give it a try. She was incredibly helpful and encouraging with all the behind the scenes stuff, like setting up for a book signing and being resilient during the editing process. I also LOVE her books. “Too Many Mangos” is my favorite Tammy Paikai book, so relatable in Hawaii and a great lesson of giving.

What do you enjoy most about writing for kids? What are some of your greatest challenges in writing for children?

I love the book signings and reading at the schools! Meeting children and hearing them say how much they love the story is such a heartwarming experience. My biggest problem when writing for children is my love for big words. Keeping stories at 2nd grade reading level and replacing “verbose” with “talkative” or “mean” in place of “malicious” is a challenge. My kids always loved “big” words but my editor has a different viewpoint.

What are your hopes and dreams for the year and beyond in terms of your writing career and what you would like to see published in the future?

I’d like to publish a chapter book for teens with a Hawaiʻi storyline. Maybe even a Hawaiʻi graphic novel. I’d also love to do a sequel for my first book, Pono, the Garden Guardian. He’s my favorite little guy with a big heart. I have a rough idea of what I’d like his next chapter to be. Publishing another adventure for him would be amazing.

There are not a lot of stories for or by Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Why do you think that is? What do you think we can do the change that?

I agree that there are not enough Hawaiian/Pacific Islander children’s book authors. In my opinion, I think part of that stems from the Hawaiian culture itself. Hawaiian is a spoken language, traditionally passing stories through chants, song and dance. The lack of a written Hawaiian language did not become issue until the arrival of the missionaries. Today, there seems to be a limited group of traditional kumu who are perpetuating the culture as they always have, through oral teachings. I think more in the community are trying to reach out to keiki, but unfortunately, the pool of knowledgeable experts with a passion for writing and a focus on children’s stories is small. It may be helpful to have more outreach by cultural groups to encourage keiki to put their demands out there for books and also writing their own stories.

Do you have a website? Are you on social media? Do social media play a role for you as an author? Do your readers contact you? What do they say?

My website is sorely out of date. Iʻm also on Facebook. I been have slacking off considerably in promoting my books in the last couple of years. My focus was on my family and getting my daughter set up for college. Now that she is in college, I hope to get back to it. I have gotten email sent from my website, direct messages and comments on facebook and my direct email. Most of the feedback was through social media. A majority of the comments were around how much they liked the characters. A few made welcome critiques of different directions the story could have gone. My favorite bit of feedback was that I didn’t name the puppy in How About a Pineapple? I purposefully left out a name because I noticed many children coming to book signings mentioned that their dog was the dog in the book. I felt naming the dog excluded all those keiki with white dogs that wanted to imagine their puppy on an adventure. The dog is named Kea in the book description but not in the story, and I still appreciate the comment.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

READ READ READ! Learn how others weave their stories and develop their characters. All those different styles helps you find your own. Be open to feedback from others, it can only make you better. Write about what inspires you. Don’t be discouraged — keep trying.

Can you share a bit of your current work?

The last book I published was a baby book, Rainbow Friends in the Sea. I’ve always loved rainbows and wanted to write a color book for little ones. It’s a board book with a simple rhyming theme showing the basic colors of the rainbow in sea life. My favorite part of the book is a mirror in the end, because “You’re my newest Rainbow Friend.”

Which of your books did you have the most fun writing? Which were the most challenging?

Writing How About a Pineapple? with my daughter was the best experience. At 12 years old she was bursting with ideas and edits. It was a blessing working with her.

My first book, Pono the Garden Guardian, was the hardest to write. I invested a great deal of my heart in that book, and it was too long. The text needed to be cut in half. Cutting something you love down to its core was very difficult for me but also a valuable lesson. Great stories can be a relationship between the author and the reader. Using fewer words allows the reader to fill their mind with the pictures they create. The writing is just there to point and to guide.

What beliefs are your books challenging? 

I think there are many stories about heroes. I believe everyone can be a hero. You just have to decide how. My characters aren’t “super,” they’re YOU in different situations. They’re YOU choosing to be a good person in a small, but significant way.

What’s your experience with publishing your books?

I’ve had good experiences with my publisher. Island Heritage is well known for quality and has a history of amazing works. I’m honored that they allowed me to share my stories and support me as an author.

Where do you get ideas for your books?

I write stories I want my children to learn from. I take a lesson like self-less giving, doing what’s right and working well with others, and I have the characters show you why that lesson matters. Inspiration is everywhere and in common everyday things. Children’s stories should shine a light on a different way to look at something, from different perspective. It’s a great way to learn no matter what your age. 

Which characters do you relate with easily? Why?

The character closest to me is Tako Lends a Helping Hand. Tako wants to help everyone but takes on more than she can do and ends up forgetting everything she’s already promised. Managing tasks and time while working with others to get things done is something I think many people can relate to. Tako is an octopus, so it’s a little wishful thinking to hope for a few extra hands on busy days.

Can you share a bit about your next book?

 I always have 10–12 books in different stages at all times. It’s common for me to put something down for months and come back to it with fresh eyes. The book I have that’s a bit farther along than most is a story about not wanting to go to bed. It’s got more of a national theme, and it rhymes, which is always a bit more challenging to get the rhythm right. Many parents can connect to a story of a child wanting to stay up a little later than they should.

Mahalo, Dani, for sharing your manaʻo with us! To contact Dani Hickman and learn more about her books, please visit her website at thedanihickman.com. 

Today I am delighted to feature my friend, the talented Native Hawaiian author Tammy Paikai.  Her five picture books cover subjects that teach children important life lessons but do so in a fun and approachable way that kids — and their parents — love. 

Aloha, Tammy. It’s so good to talk with you! For those who haven’t met you, could you please tell us a little about yourself?

I like to describe myself as a kind and good person.  I was inspired by my father who was my role model growing up.  He was a gentle soul, yet had a witty sense of humor that always made me laugh. 

Being a young mom of three wonderful children, my first career was to help support my growing family.  I worked for 20 years at The Plaza Hotel by the Honolulu International Airport as the Senior Reservations Clerk.  In the hospitality industry I could help others and that gave me the most satisfaction. 

My second career was for me because I had always wanted to do something creative in my life.  I worked for Island Heritage as a Customer Service Representative and Front Office Administrator for 17 years, and it was such a joy to be around so many creative people.  I feel so blessed that Island Heritage gave me the opportunity to write books for children.  It has really been a dream come true.

Where did you grow up? What high school did you grad from?

Although I was born in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, my elementary years were mostly spent in Reseda, California.  I returned back to Hawaiʻi when I was 10 years old and attended several schools on the West side of the island.  I eventually graduated from Aiea High School.  Living in Hawaii was where I learned about all the different ethnicities and cultures of the islands. 

Who is your biggest supporter?

My biggest supporters are my family, especially my husband of 40+ years.  He always believed in me and my talent.  To this day he loves to share my stories with his young students.  He has been a Hawaiian Studies teacher since 1988.  I am so happy that he can share these stories with a message of aloha, sharing, laughter, fun and self-confidence. 

Why did you become a writer? What inspired you to write for children?

It was a desire deep inside of me to be creative.  From childhood, I drew cartoons and wrote poetry for fun.  At Island Heritage I wanted to try my hand at being a writer.  The Creative Director suggested that I submit a manuscript.  I came up with a little poem called, Aloha Is…,and it was accepted and published in 2006.  To this day, it is still one of Island Heritage’s Best Sellers.  This story is in rhyme and shares the many meanings of aloha.  Illustrated by Rosalie Prussing, the pictures are absolutely a work of art! I wanted to write for the children of Hawaii to give them books about “us.”  I was very lucky to be partnered with great artists that brought my stories to life.  Their talents helped me share the beauty of our people, our values, our lifestyle and our home. 

What do you enjoy most about writing for kids? What are some of your greatest challenges in writing for children?

I really enjoy when the kids connect with my stories. Like in Too Many Mangoes, perhaps they have mangoes that they have shared with their neighbors or maybe they have a hard-of-hearing grandpa too.  I am in awe when someone says that my book is one of their favorites.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would ever happen!  It makes me feel so proud that I can bring joy to others in my own little way.  My greatest challenge would be coming up with an idea for a story.  I want all of my stories to be upbeat and positive.  I want to give a good message to the children and make them smile. 

What are your hopes and dreams for the year and beyond in terms of your writing career and what you would like to see published in the future?

Right now I am just enjoying my latest book, I am Kiki!  I Love Me! which just came out this summer 2022.  The story begins with Kiki singing a song to herself on the beach of Hawaiʻi until a volleyball player teases her for being so short.  Kiki loves herself and won’t let others bring her down.  Illustrated by Eliza Fortney,  the beach scenes are absolutely beautiful with lots to look at. 

I have been waiting a very long time to have this story published.  I love this story because I hope to inspire young children to simply love themselves the way they are and not let others make them feel bad about themselves.  Also, I was able to add a little poetry in the story which is a fun touch for Kiki’s confidence. 

There are not a lot of stories for or by Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Why do you think that is? What do you think we can do the change that?

We should always encourage people to share their own stories.  Like my co-worker simply encouraged me to submit a manuscript, I thought it would be harder than that.   Years, later I encouraged a friend to submit a manuscript, now she is a published children’s author at Island Heritage too. 

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

 If I can do it, so can you!  Write what you know about, what you enjoy, what you love, etc.  Also, read it out loud to yourself, over and over again to make sure it is just right.  Have a good message or moral if it is a children’s story.  Take pride in your work! 

Which of your books did you have the most fun writing? Which were the most challenging?

I enjoyed writing Too Many Mangoes, a story about sharing.  Grandpa has so many mangoes that he asks his grandchildren to share the mangoes with the neighbors.  Illustrator Don Robinson’s characters are so delightful. I was able to incorporate my family’s names in the story, and I really did climb my Grandpa’s mango tree when I was a child.  By the way, my grandpa’s name was Mr. Wong, just like the in the story! 

Which were the most challenging?  I wanted to do a funny book with rhymes.  Grandpa’s Mixed-Up Lūʻau is what happens when a lovable, but hard-of-hearing Grandpa tries to help Grandma get ready for a lūʻau.  Also illustrated by Don Robinson, the story unfolds with his beautiful pictures. At first things were flowing nicely:  “boy” rhymes with “poi,” “Malia” rhymes with “haupia.” But I struggled with a rhyme for “kalua pig.”  Then inspiration came from above, “Canoe that’s big!” 

What’s your experience with publishing your books?

It’s been excellent!  The Creative people at Island Heritage, a.k.a. The Madden Corporation were not only professional but super creative and extremely talented.  I’m sure it helped me by being a co-worker/friend to the Creative Department.  Their website has not only my books but also they have beautiful Hawaiian themed gifts and souvenirs. 

Where do you get ideas for your books?

Honesty, I believe my inspiration comes from “above.”  Something happens and the title pops in my head and the writing part comes easy after that.  For example, one day my neighbor came to our house and asked if we saw her pet turtle that they lost.  I thought to myself, Honu, Honu, Where are You? and then wrote the rhyme for that playful story about baby dolphin looking for his friend, Honu, the sea turtle.  Yuko Green who cleverly illustrated the book using flaps to help hide the turtles in  this story. 

Another time, my daughter was telling me that she put capers in her salmon dish.  I heard “papers” and questioned her about what kind of papers?  She was annoyed, but I thought it was funny.  So I came up with Grandpa’s Mixed-Up Luau.    

Which characters do you relate with easily? Why?

Kiki would be the character that I most relate too.  She is short, wears glasses and is happy-go-lucky.  As a young girl my brother would tease me and I didn’t stand up for myself.  I wrote Kiki wanting young girls to love themselves so that if others tease her, it would not affect her self-esteem.  My daughter was working on a project a few years ago about empowerment for women of color.  That project inspired me to write I am Kiki! I Love Me!  

This is great, Tammy. Anything else?

Mahalo to my long time friend, Kamalani Hurley.  I am so honored for her to share my humble story.  Also, many thanks to the people of Hawaii for making me feel special and embracing my stories that I really loved writing.  Dreams do come true, thanks to you!

Mahalo to YOU, Tammy! We look forward to many more of your stories for keiki! To contact Tammy Paikai and learn more about her books, please visit the Island Heritage website

Welcome to the first in a new series of interviews with Native Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi writers! 

I am very pleased to introduce award-winning author Ilima Loomis. She has an extensive background not only in writing for children but also in journalism, content marketing, science and technology. Her goal is to help her readers to make sense of complicated subjects.

Aloha, Ilima. For those who haven’t met you, could you please tell us a little about yourself?

Aloha! My name is Ilima Loomis, and I’m the author of children’s books including ‘Ohana Means Family and Eclipse Chaser: Science in the Moon’s Shadow. Along with writing books for young readers, I also work as a science writer! I interview scientists and help explain their research and discoveries for a general audience. I started my career as a community journalist, working as a reporter for The Maui News. While I was born and lived most of my life in Hawaii, I recently moved to Vancouver, Canada.

Where did you grow up? What high school did you grad from?

I was born and raised in Kailua, Oahu, and I graduated from Iolani School in Honolulu. Go Raiders!

Who is your biggest supporter?

My daughter is 15, and she recently told me that she was proud of what I do and she thought I was cool. That really meant so much to me! I’m grateful to be her mom. She inspires me.

Thatʻs very cool. Why did you become a writer? What inspired you to write for children?

I actually started out as a journalist. I’ve always written nonfiction because I’m inspired by the real world. My first children’s book was actually a spin-off from a nonfiction book I wrote about paniolo and ranching in Hawaii. After I finished the book for adults, I thought it would also make a good subject for kids, so I pitched and wrote a picture book. I loved the experience of writing for kids and was hooked.

What do you enjoy most about writing for kids? What are some of your greatest challenges in writing for children?

I love the challenge of taking a complex subject and figuring out how to distill it into a story that kids will understand and relate to or find interesting. It really forces you as a writer to think about what’s most important and what you most want to say. It’s such a short format, there’s no room for any rambling or digression. Even though I’m writing nonfiction, I still have to think creatively about how to say what I want to say, and how to turn these cold facts into a story that makes the reader feel emotion. It makes me a better writer. 

There are not a lot of stories for or by Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Why do you think that is? What do you think we can do the change that?

First, I want to note that I’m not Native Hawaiian; I’m from a multi-generational kama’aina family. Hawaiʻi is my home, and it meant so much to me to be able to share something about Hawaiʻi’s culture with this book. I also want to credit and thank Hōkūao Pellegrino for reviewing and adding his cultural expertise to the book.

I absolutely believe that there is a huge need for more books for and by Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. It’s gratifying to see that children’s publishing has embraced diversity in the last few years and is starting to catch up with the long overlooked need for stories that reflect the diverse world in which we live. That push for diversity needs to include indigenous voices, in particular Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

There’s a lot I don’t understand about how publishing works as an industry, but I do think that organizations like SCBWI (Society of Childrenʻs Book Writers and Illustrators) can support this movement by continuing to work on being more diverse and inclusive in their membership and programs for up-and-coming writers and illustrators. I think the SCBWI Hawaiʻi Chapter is doing a great job on that and I hope they continue to push even harder toward those goals. And of course as readers the best thing we can do to show publishers that there’s demand for books by and for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders is to buy and support the books that are already out there. I think it’s especially important to support local Hawaii publishers, because they’re the ones leading the way in sharing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander stories, and that’s where many new writers and illustrators get their start. Local publishers are an important resource for readers and writers in Hawaii, and we need to support them!

Are you on social media? Do social media play a role for you as an author? Do your readers contact you? What do they say?

I do some social media (where else would I find an outlet for all the photos I take of my dog??). Writing can be a lonely activity, so I found that social media was a great way to connect with other writers and build community. I do sometimes hear from readers, and I absolutely love it when I see people share that they enjoyed my book. It’s especially cool when I see the book shared by librarians or teachers! As an author though, I try to turn off the social media for a while so I can focus on my writing without distractions.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

There’s no substitute for just writing a lot and putting it out there for people to read. I actually believe it’s more important to write a lot than to write well. You learn something every time your work gets released into the world, so take every opportunity you can. Some writers will hang on to their work, polishing and polishing, because it’s never good enough. Perfectionism is a killer. Just let it go.

Can you share a bit of your current work?

I’m working on an idea about pollinator gardens! I’m inspired by small-scale conservation.

Which of your books did you have the most fun writing? Which were the most challenging?

I actually had an incredible experience writing Eclipse Chaser. I had the opportunity to travel to the 2017 total solar eclipse with University of Hawaii solar physicist Shadia Habbal and her team. We camped in the Oregon desert, and she allowed me to document her expedition for the book. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

What beliefs are your books challenging?

Interesting question! I don’t think I set out to challenge people’s beliefs, but in ‘Ohana Means Family I wanted readers to reflect on how food connects us with each other, with nature, and with the world.

What’s your experience with publishing your books?

My first two books, Ka’imi’s First Round-Up and Rough Riders: Hawaii’s Paniolo and Their Stories were published with a local publisher (Island Heritage). It was a great experience, and I am really grateful Island Heritage took a chance on my books and gave me the opportunity to work on those projects as a young writer. I actually originally wrote ‘Ohana Means Family with the intention of publishing it locally as well. But when I connected with my agent, Kelly Sonnack, she thought there would be interest outside of Hawaii. She ended up selling it to Neal Porter, an acclaimed children’s book editor. It was an incredible opportunity to be able to work with Neal on my first picture book outside of Hawaii, and I think he did an amazing job with the book. I was especially excited that he selected illustrator Kenard Pak to create the art, and I think the results were absolutely gorgeous.

Where do you get ideas for your books?

I’m inspired by the natural world and how humans interact with nature!

Which characters do you relate with easily? Why?

I’m a quiet, introspective person, so I usually relate to quiet, introspective characters.

Can you share a bit about your next book?

As I mentioned, I’m working about a book about pollinator gardens. For inspiration, I planted some native wildflowers in a planter on my deck. Now that I live in the Pacific Northwest there are so many plants and animals that are new to me. I love watching the bees buzzing around the flowers, and I’m especially excited every time hummingbirds come for a visit! They’re so tiny and cute! I love the idea that humans can interact with nature and support conservation even if they live in small spaces or in the middle of a big city.

Mahalo nui, Ilima, and best wishes for your continued success! To contact Ilima Loomis and learn more about her books, visit her website, Ilimaloomis.com.