Stories entertain, teach, take kids on adventures

Whether you’re looking for a last-minute stocking stuffer or reading material to engage the mind and imagination of your child on winter break, there’s sure to be something that appeals in this list of the latest local books.

‘Sky’ lets keiki fly high

"Up in the Hawaiian Sky" (Beachhouse Publishing, $7.95), authored by Lavonne Leong and illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong, is a fantastical tale of a young girl’s adventures as she spends a day with the sun. She soars above the local landscape, drifting over treetops, baseball fields, stone walls and mountains, and encounters an amazing rainbow.

The girl eventually parts ways as the end of the day nears and she prepares for a restful night’s sleep with her stuffed dog, Poki.

Tsong’s whimsical illustrations are inspired by various island landscapes on Maui and Oahu and the coffee farms and valleys of Hawaii island.

The board book is geared for ages 3 and younger.

Can you find the geckos?

Jon J. Murakami’s rascally geckos are back.

Readers can search for a ninja gecko, a Christmas gecko, a gecko wearing a straw hat and so many others in Murakami’s seventh installment of the series, "Geckos Slide and Peek: A Look-and-Find Adventure in Hawaii" (BeachHouse Publishing, $13.95).

Fans of the "I Spy" series will enjoy the challenge of finding the green critters and other objects in the highly detailed scenes: the beach, a sushi restaurant, the ocean, a shave ice shop, a concert, a carnival, a park and a luau.

Murakami draws the comic strip "Calabash," which runs every other Sunday in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He also produces the popular Local Kine greeting card line.

Menehune get into mischief

Four young men ride dolphins, talk to waterfalls and construct grand fishponds in "Menehune Tales of Hawaii" (Island Heritage, $15.99), authored by Richard B. Madden.

Madden became intrigued with native folklore about menehune during his stay in the islands as a naval officer in the early 1950s. Now retired, Madden found himself still inspired by the legends of old Hawaii and composed his own collection of menehune lore. The book features eight short chapters detailing the adventures of four mischievous menehune friends.

Each story blends into the next, covering aspects of island life from ocean adventures to royal banquets.

Robert G. Steele’s watercolor illustrations add a mystical, dreamlike allure. A glossary of Hawaiian words is included in the back of the book.

Hula education over 12 days

"The Twelve Days of Hula" (BeachHouse Publishing, $12.95) by Beth Greenway is a counting book set in the same verse as the traditional holiday song, "The 12 Days of Christmas." Kids can learn about a variety of hula implements as they flip through the pages that number puili (split bamboo sticks), ipu heke (double gourd drum) and ginger lei among the items "my kumu gave to me."

Pages that feature implements with Hawaiian names include footnotes describing the movement hula dancers perform when using each one, making the book an excellent choice for locals and mainlanders alike.

The story concludes with kumu giving the keiki 12 front-row tickets to the Merrie Monarch Festival.

Kristi Petosa-Sigel’s lively illustrations give great detail to the implements and emotion to the swaying keiki halau.

Child learns about gratitude, values

A timely tale in this season of giving, "Something Different, Something New" (Island Heritage, $13.95) by Ginger K.G. Kamisugi emphasizes how "new and different" aren’t always better.

Pua loves all of the things that her grandmother gives her, while her brother Makana is an ungrateful child always looking for something new and different.

Makana’s grandparents are always reminding him that things can be enjoyed without being new. When his sister gets a Hawaiian quilt that has been passed down for generations, he wants one, too. But Grandma tells him that it’s older than she is, and unique.

He finally understands the lesson that his grandparents have been trying to instill: that possessions with history can have more significance than things shiny and new. Tutu tells the boy she will make him a new quilt to pass on to future generations, and Makana vows to treasure it always.

Illustrator Don Robinson’s cherubic children and expressive grandparents fill the pages, capturing the mood of each scene as the story unfolds.

Creature seeks home near buddy

"Keala Up a Tree" (BeachHouse Publishing, $13.95) by Patricia McLean is a delightful rhyming tale about a girl named Keala who climbs up a tree in search of a suitable home for a gecko.

Her friend, the gecko, is finicky about the multitude of choices Keala presents across the island. It turns out the little gecko just wants a cozy home near his friend, not a majestic valley or a vast pineapple field.

Illustrations by Holly Braffet capture the lovely landscapes of Maui.  

Musical fish tale

Preschoolers can read or sing along as they flip through the pages of "Slippery Fish in Hawaii" (Beachhouse Publishing, $7.95).

The colorful characters in the board book include an octopus, a tuna, a great white shark, a humongous whale and, of course, the slippery fish. The popular title song is written by Charlotte Diamond. If you’re not familiar with the tune, online videos can be searched. The vibrant illustrations by John Aardema add charm to the underwater scenes.

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BUY THE BOOKS: 

» BeachHouse Publishing: beachhousepublishing.com
» Island Heritage: www.welcometotheislands.com

CORRECTION: Ginger K.G. Kamisugi’s last name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story. She is the author of the children’s book "Something Different, Something New."