Ori the Whale

Ori the Whale by Gwen and Harry Mirijanian
Softcover, 32 pp
Release Date: September 2023
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It’s Ori the Whale’s first time making the long journey from chilly Alaska to the warmer waters of the Hawaiian Islands, and Mother Whale has so many things to show him! For twenty-five years, Mother Whale has been making this roundtrip journey, and in Ori the Whale: Mother Whale’s Favorite Things to See on Maui, she shares with her calf Ori all of her favorite things to see when she comes to Maui each winter.

Just like Mother Whale, authors Gwen and Harry Mirijanian have visited Maui annually for the past twenty-five years. “Sitting on the beach one day,” Harry recalls, “we thought about all the people who come to Maui to see the whales. And then we thought about what the whales who return each year were seeing and thinking,” which led to the couple’s idea to create a children’s book to share everything they treasure about Maui. “We enjoy whale watching with a close friend who was a humpback whale researcher, and year after year, we would see the same whale, usually with a calf.” This mother whale guiding her offspring inspired the storyline for Ori the Whale. Vivid illustrations by Darren Sanchez bring the people, places and activities of Maui alive.

The 32-page softcover, full-color book is a custom-quote project illustrated with original artwork and provided as complete layouts in digital format by the client.

Ori the Whale is available via our online store.

Cover and sample pages from the interior:

What the World Needs Now

What the World Needs Now by Joyce Iwashita
Softcover, 48 pp
Release Date: May 2022
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How can you contribute to make the world a better place? That’s the question educator Joyce Iwashita asks in her new book, What the World Needs Now: A Guide for Helping Kids Make Good Choices. Simple actions and positive choices are rendered in vivid digital illustrations by Kelson Gallano, a senior at Ka‘ū High School on the island of Hawai‘i.

A retired school teacher and principal, and a graduate of Ka‘ū High herself, Iwashita found herself wondering during the pandemic, How could I help children, if I were still a school principal? “A global pandemic impacts everyone,” she notes, “but it presents especially great challenges for children and their families. Teaching students that they can make choices that will improve or enhance their lives—or someone else’s—helps bring out their best.” With that in mind, she wrote What the World Needs Now to spread the message that “Everyone can contribute to making things right in their schools, in their communities, and throughout the world.” 

When it came time to bring her lessons to life with artwork, Iwashita turned to her alma mater for a recommendation to a student illustrator. “I completed the writing in 2020, and in May of 2021 I was connected with Kelson,” Iwashita recalls. “He and I started communicating via Zoom and exchanged ideas and reviewed drafts in monthly conferences with his teacher and his parents.” Adds Gallano, “It was a great learning expererience for me and brought me out of my comfort zone—I taught myself to use the Procreate app on the iPad and used Mrs. Iwashita’s storyline paired with illustrations of what we as students go through every day. I’m thankful that she trusted and believed in me.” Gallano’s cover depicts the flowers spread across the hillside of Pu‘u Makanau, where the early Hawaiian navigators of Ka‘ū observed the stars—the “twinkling eyes” in the mountain’s name. The flowers, he explains, represent all the children of Ka‘ū.

The 48-page softcover, full-color book is a custom-quote project illustrated with original artwork provided in digital format by the client.

What the World Needs Now is available via our online store and at local bookstores and online retailers.

Cover and sample pages from the interior:

Ha‘aha‘a

Ha‘aha‘a by Thao “Kale‘a” Le, PhD, MPH
Hardcover, 32 pp
Release Date: September 2023
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Beautiful, sweet, stunning Mango is praised by everyone. Compared to the leaves, the tree branches, the other mangoes, Mango is just…better…isn’t it so? When confronted with the sacrifices of those around them, Mango learns a valuable lesson in humility.

Written by Thao “Kale‘a” Le, PhD, MPH, a professor in the Human Development and Family Studies program in the Family Consumer Sciences Department at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, Ha‘aha‘a is a creative narrative for encouraging humble appreciation of one’s own gifts and the contributions of others. Ha‘aha‘a is one of the components of ALOHA, as espoused by the teachings of Native Hawaiian poet and philosopher Aunty Pīlahi Pākī, otherwise known as the “Aloha Spirit Law,” HRS [§5-7.5].

Covers Hawaii Content & Performance Standards Database III Content Area: Health
Standard 1: Core Concepts – Understand concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention (Mental and Emotional Health); Standard 3: Self-Management – Practice Health: Enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks (Mental and Emotional Health, Factors Influencing Health Across Topic Areas); Standard 5: Interpersonal Communication – Use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health

This is the third book in Dr. Le’s series designed to teach children about ALOHA and mindfulness. 

The 32-page hardcover, full-color book is a custom-quote project illustrated with original artwork provided in digital format by the client.

Ha‘aha‘a is available via our online store and has been distributed through the author’s efforts via partnerships with educational organizations.

Cover and sample pages from the interior:

The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild
e-book only
Release Date: October 2013
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High school student Casey Doyle took the classic Jack London story, The Call of the Wild and illustrated and adapted the tale for younger readers. Aimed at young readers, Casey’s goal with her telling of The Call of the Wild was to make classic literature more accessible in these modern times and encourage children to read the same stories generations before have enjoyed.

The publication of The Call of the Wild is the outgrowth of Casey’s 10th grade International Baccalaureate project which required students to create something based on their passions. Casey loves classic literature and art, so she decided to help bring that love into the lives of children.

This is an e-book only creation, using client-provided scans of Casey’s original acrylic paintings.

The Call of the Wild is available at Amazon.com and will also be made available at the iTunes Bookstore in the near future.

Back cover and sample pages from the interior:

Akahai

Akahai
Hardcover, 36 pp
Release Date: August 2021
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What does it mean to be kind? How do we decide who deserves kindness? Venturing through the beautiful Hawai‘i rainforest, Keiki encounters Nēnē, Pueo, Kolohala, Moa, Poloka, and Pua‘a, who provide the perfect opportunity for Keiki to practice loving kindness with the magical Akahai backpack. But does Kopiana, who hurt poor Nēnē, deserve Keiki’s help?

Written by Thao “Kale‘a” Le, PhD, MPH, a professor in the Human Development and Family Studies program in the Family Consumer Sciences Department at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, Akahai is a creative narrative for encouraging loving kindness. Akahai is the first concept in ALOHA, as espoused by the teachings of Native Hawaiian poet and philosopher Aunty Pīlahi Pākī, otherwise known as the “Aloha Spirit Law,” HRS [§5-7.5].

Covers Hawaii Content & Performance Standards Database III Content Area: Health
Standard 1: Core Concepts – Understand concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention (Mental and Emotional Health); Standard 3: Self-Management – Practice Health: Enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks (Mental and Emotional Health, Factors Influencing Health Across Topic Areas); Standard 4: Analyzing Influences – Understand the influences of culture, family, peers, media, technology, and other factors on health; Standard 5: Interpersonal Communication – Use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health; Standard 6: Decision-Making and Goal-Setting – Use decision-making and goal-setting skills to enhance health

This is the second book in Dr. Le’s series designed to teach children about using breath to connect with ALOHA as a mindfulness practice. 

The 36-page hardcover, full-color book is a custom-quote project illustrated with original artwork provided in digital format by the client. In addition to the print edition, Akahai was converted to e-book format for Amazon Kindle and Apple Books platforms.

Akahai is available via our online store and has been distributed through the author’s efforts via partnerships with educational organizations.

Cover and sample pages from the interior:

Mindfulness with Aloha Breath

Mindfulness with Aloha Breath
Hardcover, 36 pp
Release Date: September 2020
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Written by Thao “Kale‘a” Le, PhD, MPH, a professor in Human Development and Family Studies, Mindfulness with Aloha Breath incorporates Aunty Pilahi Paki’s meaning of aloha as designated in the “Aloha Spirit Law” (HRS [§5-7.5]) and basic concepts of neurological and biological function in a simple, expressive lesson for children.

Dr. Le created the book to teach children about using breath to connect with ALOHA as a mindfulness practice. 

The 36-page hardcover, full-color book is a custom-quote project illustrated with original artwork provided in digital format by the client. In addition to the print edition, Aloha Breath was converted to e-book format for Amazon Kindle and Apple Books platforms.

Mindfulness with Aloha Breath is available via our online store and has been distributed through the author’s efforts via partnerships with educational organizations.

Cover and sample pages from the interior: