Book for beginning readers introduces the island lifestyle

“A Is for Aloha, 2nd edition,” by Stephanie Feeney and Eva Moravcik, photos by Jeff Reese

UH Press, $16.99

Where your basic “A is for apple” alphabet book might be great for putting children to sleep, “A Is for Aloha” will wake them up to the pleasures of learning their letters. In a new edition from University of Hawai‘i Press, the 1980 classic has a fresh text by Stephanie Feeney and Eva Moravcik and candid color photos by Jeff Reese.

A fun local outlook informs “F is for Friend,” in which one little girl gives a lei and a hug to another, “N is for Noodles,” “O is for Octopus” and “Y is for “Yucky,” with a priceless look on a little boy’s face.

Throughout, this bright, warm book embraces the diversity of Hawaii’s people, landscape, flora and fauna and the wide range of outdoor activities that fill the lives of island children today; an afterword and glossary provide some social and natural history, Hawaiian and pidgin words and local favorite foods.

“A Is for Aloha” earns its title.