Aloha Everything: Picture book

 

From the Publisher:

In this exciting adventure, you'll encounter mighty canoes crashing over ocean waves, regal hawks soaring high above the clouds, and brilliant lizards jumping nimbly through forest trees! Most importantly, you'll meet a courageous young girl named Ano who learns, grows, and comes to love her island home with all her heart.

Since the day that Ano was born, her heart has been connected to her home. But, this adventurous child has a lot to learn! When Ano begins to dance hula — a storytelling dance form that carries the knowledge, history, and folklore of the Hawaiian people — Ano comes to understand the true meaning of aloha.

Aloha Everything is both a captivating read and a fantastic educational resource for learning about Hawaiian history, ecology, and culture. With breathtaking hand-painted illustrations and beautiful rhyming poetry that will lull little ones into brilliant dreams of vibrant adventure, this book is sure to capture the hearts of both children and parents alike.

The beautiful poetry—weaving its way through every page—artfully blends 25 Hawaiian words into the English prose and provides a thoughtful exploration of the meaning of aloha in relation to the land, the people, and the lore. There is also a pronunciation guide and glossary providing additional information for those looking to learn more about the rich language and culture of Hawai’i.

My Thoughts:

I came across this book on an AAPI month post about books to read. This is a lush picture book/long poem about a girl, Ano and what she learns about her identity, her culture and the deep sense of aloha through her study of hula. 

The illustrations are just layered and packed with flora, fauna, and action. It is very colorful and appealing. In truth, however, I actually sat on the waiting list for the audiobook first not realizing that this was a picture book. When I finally got it from my local library, I thought it was a mistake that the book was 8 minutes long. However, once I started, the narrator, Barrie Kealoha, as well as the background music was very appealing. However, if this is how you access the book, make sure to get the book so that you do not miss out on the artwork. The best way is to have the book read for you while you read along. That way you have the background music to add to the illustrations. That is what we call "nahenahe" in Hawaiian.

Publication Information:

Author: Kaylin Melia George

Illustrator: Mae Waite

Narrator: Barrie Kealoha

Publisher: Red Comet Press (April 23, 2024)

Catch The Ball!

From the Publisher:

Ezekiel is such a sure-handed receiver, he’s always chosen first when teams are picked for football. He’s even earned the nickname EZ, short for endzone, because he catches so many touchdown passes. His good buddy, Joel, however, always gets picked last. For a reason.

The football was thrown in a tight spiral, soaring straight to Joel. Caching it would mean victory. As Joel reached out, the ball bounced off his fingertips and hung in the air. Joel stretched his arms out further, but the ball slipped through his hands and hit the ground with a thud. Joel was deflated. EZ was annoyed and, out of frustration, yelled, “Catch the ball!”

It was that moment of disappointment and disbelief that would eventually lead the boys to realize they have the same problem – neither is having any fun. Joel can’t keep his head in the game or concentrate because he’s too worried about messing up and getting yelled at by teammates. EZ hates the pressure that comes from everyone expecting him to always be at the top of his game. Even his league coach repeatedly tells him to “catch the ball,” which has taken all the fun out of playing his favorite sport.

For very different reasons, Joel and EZ struggle with peer pressure, self-doubt, and stress. But instead of turning to grownups for answers and help, they turn to each other for a solution. Can they work together to come up with a successful plan that will allow them to reclaim the confidence and sense of fun they’ve lost?

This is the first title in author Bryan Smith’s new Kids Can Do It Too! series, written for students in grades 1-6, and includes a special page for parents and educators on how to encourage children to develop independent problem-solving and decision-making skills.

My Thoughts:

I have not seen such a long synopsis from a publisher, but I kept most if it because there must be a reason why they want the publisher description to be so long. This is not my usual book kind of book, but my grandson came over after school while his parents went to an event, so Puna (me, and what they call me instead of grandma) was in charge of homework for my kindergartener. One of the things on his list was to read a book. He did not have one, so I went to NetGalley to find something that would catch his eye. He chose this one for a few reasons. One, is that as a kindergartener, he recognized some of the frequently used words in the title: Catch, the, and Ball. He also loves to play. Recess is his favorite time of the day. 

This book, as you can see from above, is about two boys, EZ or Ezekiel, and his friend Joel. EZ hurts Joel's feelings, even if he does not know that he did it. Still, EZ wants to know why Joel is not talking to him and when Joel says that he did not appreciate being yelled at, EZ very maturely says sorry.

EZ is especially sorry, because when his coach yells "Catch the Ball!" it also stresses him out, but he did the same thing to Joel. The two boys are emotionally very mature, but my grandson quickly figured out that Joel was not mad about dropping the ball. He was mad about getting yelled at. 

EZ is even able to talk to his coach and the coach changed his tactics, all because EZ had a dream solution. 

When I asked my grandson what he took away from the book it was that play is for fun. Everyone should be included and no one should be yelled at for making a mistake because play is for fun. He also enjoyed the humor: "Un-b-leave-uh-bull!" The way that was illustrated just made him laugh and laugh. 

Teaching Suggestions:

Thematic Currents:

• Mental health
• Belonging
• Friendship
• Problem solving
• Self-advocacy

Activity:

Reading Buddies - if you have a middle school reading buddy program at your school where your middle schoolers have an elementary partner classroom, this is a good boy book with good dialogue that grabs the attention of younger readers. The middle school students can practice pausing, asking questions, and using the pictures to "read" or even predict. The reading age is 5-11 so K-5.

Dialogue mentor text - this book does not have a lot of dialogue, but the dialogue that is here is well thought out. When should dialogue be put in? How can dialogue sound natural for the time and age of the character? (the author uses terms like dude, ghosting and lame on one page). 

Publication Information:

Author: Bryan Smith

Illustrator: Lisa M. Griffin

Publisher: Boys Town Press Publishing (August 12, 2024)

Paperback: 31 pages