In the midst of the upheaval following the catastrophic Maui wildfires, three Lahaina third graders found a creative outlet for their emotions through an art class that culminated in a book they wrote and illustrated.

DeAna Duncan, a retired visual arts teacher with the Lahaina Arts Guild, shepherded the kids through every step while teaching art at the Lahaina Learning Group, held by volunteers within a church in Honokowai. Although not the original intent, the nonprofit arts guild ended up printing 26 hardbound copies of the book, 20 pages long. A book-signing event with the kids and their families will be held in February at an undetermined date, and it’s possible more copies may be produced as a fundraiser.

The book is called “Makai Loves Books.” Its central character is based on one of its authors, Makai Garcia, 9, who used to attend King Kameha­meha III Elementary School before it burned down. His best friend, Ulises Lozano, and classmate Alena Acquintas collaborated in creating the storyline, which shows how its characters dealt with the loss of something important to them.

The story starts with the three friends (using their real first names) walking through Dream Park, all with their noses buried in books. But Makai, who is in front, walks straight into a mud puddle, and all of the books he carried fall into it.

The real Makai said, “They tried to clean it up, but all the words disappeared,” and then the fictional kids feel strange and get sucked inside the blank books.

The kids hope to get Makai’s books restored by writing their own stories. Ulises’ story is about a dragon that grants three wishes, one of which is for Makai to get his books back. Magically, that works, and the kids also get sucked out of the books and everything’s back to normal.

“The moral of the story is that anything is possible,” said Makai.

Working on the book and having art classes helped him out of his sadness after the fire, he said: “I drawed all the things that made me happy and are happy, like the wind blowing the trees and the birds singing. I’m feeling better.”

His mother, Aisha Malik, said Makai has been an avid reader since the age of 5 and can devour a book in an hour on the ride home from school, she said. The Lahaina Learning Group was a “such a blessing to have. He looked forward to going, to interact with his friends and be in a fun, learning environment. The kids had a blast!”

Makai, Alena and Ulises were among 15 to 20 keiki at the learning hub, who were also given lessons on math, geography and phonics by volunteers on weekdays. Duncan, assisted by guild colleague Zoe Master, set aside time to work separately with the three kids who were eager to try writing their own book. Not only the kids benefited from attending the learning group; it was edifying for the volunteers and educators as well, she said.

The Lahaina Arts Guild regularly provides free art education to schools, but since the fire also has been giving classes and donating supplies at hotels, shelters and other learning hubs, Duncan said.

“It’s such a special bright light in a dark, dark time for these kids,”said Rita McClintock, a parent who started the learning group in Napili Park soon after the fire to give kids a safe place to go and to keep learning. It later moved to Koinonia Pentecostal Church but closed when schools reopened in October.

McClintock said, “The kids really loved the art, so it was incorporated into teaching other subjects. There was a lot of healing through art because we would read stories that talked about emotions, about being a friend, about understanding when friends were down, when they need help. … Then they would go draw. That’s where the healing would come out; they would draw their feelings oftentimes, we found,” said McClintock.

Duncan said, “It’s so important in the healing process in acknowledging that it’s OK to feel bad and not have to put on a happy face.”

The kids either wrote or drew in their daily journals, but even when they were feeling sad, almost every entry expressed thankfulness to be among their friends and teachers, she said.

“They needed that sense of community around them and that stability of knowing who they were going to see each day. …They knew they were surrounded by people who supported and loved them,” Duncan said.

McClintock said she started the learning hub “out of desperation, just needing something for these kids,” after seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic upended her daughter’s education and social activities.

She was inspired to help when she saw Robert Livermore, a former King Kameha­meha III Elementary School teacher, informally teaching several kids who’d gathered under a tree at Napili Park. It was easier for him to teach math mostly and play challenging games, using items like dice and small whiteboards. (It was difficult with the wind and rain to give art lessons because of the paper involved, McClintock said.) To support him, she started collecting tents, chairs, teaching volunteers and educational materials on her own, and donations later came to the hub from all over the island.

McClintock said, “Alena’s and Makai’s moms helped from the start at the park and continued on days they could.”

By mid-September she transferred the group to nearby Koinonia Pentecostal Church, which offered the space on Facebook. Livermore returned to his job with the Department of Education; Duncan started giving art lessons and became instrumental to the daily operation and donated much of her own time, McClintock said.

“We couldn’t have done it without each other and the other parents. … We went week by week making it work. Every time we thought we would have to close, something happened so we could keep it open.”

But the book alone was made possible by Duncan, “who really helped ignite the idea and then feed the fire and saw it through to completion! She is an amazing human being!” McClintock said.