Story aims to help keiki cope after Maui fires

When Honolulu resident Elizabeth Hartline learned of the Maui wildfire disaster, she longed to give meaningful help to those who were suffering but knew her donations would go only so far.

So Hartline, an early-childhood educator who is director of the Alani Children’s Center at Kapiolani Community College, used her skill and knowledge to write a simple story meant to help the fires’ littlest survivors heal emotionally.

Her illustrated composition, “There Was a Fire: A Story for Young Children on Maui,” has now been distributed as a pamphlet to hundreds of families on Maui and is freely available online in digital form for anyone who wants to use it.

It is also being considered for formal publication as a book, and Hartline says she will require that 100% of any proceeds that might be generated go directly to help people “on the ground” in the disaster.

“My hope is that this tool gives families a way to talk to their children about the fire,” Hartline said. “Giving children language to narrate their experience is, in a therapeutic sense, the first step of the healing process and the first step for giving them some context for what has happened.”

“There Was a Fire,” written in keiki-appropriate language for ages 3-8, provides a simple telling of how the disaster happened, acknowledgement of the “big feelings” that naturally result from such a frightening experience, gentle guidance for children on how to cope, and reassurances that they are as safe as possible now.

“Some people still feel scared about the fire,” part of the book reads. “They may worry about everything that was burned in the fire. They may feel sad about Lahaina town being burned or the people who died. They may wonder, ‘Will there be another fire?’

“It is normal to feel sad, scared, and worried. These feelings may feel heavy in your body, or like you are distracted all the time. Kids have those feelings, and so do grown-ups.”

Steps keiki can take to feel better include talking with a trusted adult, asking for a hug, drawing, taking deep breaths and helping the family make a safety plan, the book suggests.

“It is grown-ups’ job to make sure that kids are safe, and grown-ups are thinking and planning to keep everyone safe,” the story concludes. “Kids have a job too! Kids’ job is let people know when they are having big feelings so that grown-ups can help them feel better.

“A bad thing happened on Maui. But the people of Maui are working together to fix their island, and to help everyone feel safe again.”

A note from Hartline to caregivers on how to use the story, plus a list of resources, are included. The illustrations are by 17- year-old Lucy Richter, the daughter of a graphic designer in Germany working with Hartline.

The story can be obtained as an editable PDF that parents or caregivers are encouraged to customize and print out, Hartline said.

Hartline is an assistant professor of early childhood education at Honolulu Community College, has worked for 15 years in the field of early childhood education and has training in trauma-informed care, which she described as “recognizing the impact that traumatic experiences can have on children’s development and being mindful about what we do.”

Hartline said she realized that one story will not remove all of a child’s fears, but “the important part is that families understand that there’s a simple way to tell this story to their children. …

“We want children to know: Any feelings you have are OK, and this is our plan moving forward. … Just knowing that they are held and this is what’s going to happen is very powerful.”

How to get the story

>> Early Childhood Action Strategy website: hawaiiactionstrategy.org/maui-wildfire-resources

>> Elizabeth Hartline’s Instagram page for easier mobile phone access: 808ne.ws/3Ej2kf3