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Ka Hala O Puna
RUMFORD, James. Ka Hala O Puna: The Beauty of Manoa. Honolulu, Hawaii: Manoa Press (2702 Manoa Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822), 2001. 32pp, ISBN [English edition] 1-891839-02-0 (hc) ISBN [Hawaiian edition] 1-891839-03-9 (hc). $12.95. Bib, Illus.
In ancient times, the wind (as man) and the rain (as woman) created the rainbow (as a girl so beautiful that the rainbow went with her wherever she walked). So she was called Kahalaopuna. This is a story of Manoa Valley, where the wind, rain, and the rainbow can frequently be seen. Author Jim Rumford has resided in Manoa Valley for 30 years. He retells and illustrates the story of Kahalaopuna in this children’s picture book.
Kahalaopuna is a young woman. She is betrothed to Kauhi, a tattooed man of chiefly rank. Angered by the lies told by his two friends, Kauhi repeatedly hurts Kahalaopuna. She is protected by her ‘aumakua or guardian spirit, who takes the form of the Hawaiian owl or pueo. This legend is a Hawaiian Othello story. It is a tale of love, deceit, treachery, murder, justice and mercy.
The setting of this story is with us today. On Wa’ahila Ridge lies Kauhi, a sleeping giant. His two buddies can be found as two large boulders. This tale originated in the Hawaiian oral tradition. Rumford also credits some written sources. His tale is largely based on a version by J. Kimo Alama Keaulana with elements taken from other oral versions. He includes a painting of Manoa Valley by D. Howard Hitchcock (1861-1943). In this painting, one can look for the profile of a sleeping giant along the peaks of Wa’ahila Ridge.
On the book’s jacket, we learn that Rumford makes books by hand at his Manoa Press. This is his sixth children’s book. This book is in hard-cover and is sewn with thread. The pages are composed of good quality, silk textured paper. It measures 7 by 10 by ½ inches; a perfect size for children to handle.
The text is generally on the left side of the page. It is brief, consisting of approximately 4 to 8 lines of double-spaced text. This book is available in English or Hawaiian editions. Puakea Nogelmeier is acknowledged as the Hawaiian language editor. The illustrations are generally on the right side of the page, bordered by one inch white trim. The illustrations are done in watercolor and Prismacolor pencil. In those parts of the story where Kahalaopuna (the rainbow) is hurt, Rumford drew symbols of black and white jagged patterned hands and sharks.
At the end of the book, Rumford has included a simple map and aglossary of Hawaiian concepts and terms used in the book. The Hawaiian language influenced Rumford’s text and illustrations. For example, the Hawaiian word for telling a lie is wahahe’e. That literally translates to slippery mouth. He’e is also the Hawaiian word for octopus. Rumford drew an octopus tattoo upon the cheek (mouth) of one of Kauhi’s (deceitful) friends.
Although this appears to be a picture book, I do not recommend reading this book aloud to very young children. I think that the subject matter would best be appreciated by older students, sixth grade and above. Rumford’s The Island below the Star and Dog of the Sea Waves are better suited for reading aloud with younger audiences.
I do recommend this book for the Hawaiiana and the folklore sections of school and public libraries in Hawaii. It is beneficial for students of Hawaiian ancestry to see their stories in print. I also highly recommend this book to schools where the Hawaiian language is spoken or taught. It would make an excellent addition to a teacher’s unit of study about Shakespeare, Hawaiian folklore, O’ahu, and the Manoa Valley.
In ancient times, the wind (as man) and the rain (as woman) created the rainbow (as a girl so beautiful that the rainbow went with her wherever she walked). So she was called Kahalaopuna. This is a story of Manoa Valley, where the wind, rain, and the rainbow can frequently be seen. Author Jim Rumford has resided in Manoa Valley for 30 years. He retells and illustrates the story of Kahalaopuna in this children’s picture book.
Kahalaopuna is a young woman. She is betrothed to Kauhi, a tattooed man of chiefly rank. Angered by the lies told by his two friends, Kauhi repeatedly hurts Kahalaopuna. She is protected by her ‘aumakua or guardian spirit, who takes the form of the Hawaiian owl or pueo. This legend is a Hawaiian Othello story. It is a tale of love, deceit, treachery, murder, justice and mercy.
The setting of this story is with us today. On Wa’ahila Ridge lies Kauhi, a sleeping giant. His two buddies can be found as two large boulders. This tale originated in the Hawaiian oral tradition. Rumford also credits some written sources. His tale is largely based on a version by J. Kimo Alama Keaulana with elements taken from other oral versions. He includes a painting of Manoa Valley by D. Howard Hitchcock (1861-1943). In this painting, one can look for the profile of a sleeping giant along the peaks of Wa’ahila Ridge.
On the book’s jacket, we learn that Rumford makes books by hand at his Manoa Press. This is his sixth children’s book. This book is in hard-cover and is sewn with thread. The pages are composed of good quality, silk textured paper. It measures 7 by 10 by ½ inches; a perfect size for children to handle.
The text is generally on the left side of the page. It is brief, consisting of approximately 4 to 8 lines of double-spaced text. This book is available in English or Hawaiian editions. Puakea Nogelmeier is acknowledged as the Hawaiian language editor. The illustrations are generally on the right side of the page, bordered by one inch white trim. The illustrations are done in watercolor and Prismacolor pencil. In those parts of the story where Kahalaopuna (the rainbow) is hurt, Rumford drew symbols of black and white jagged patterned hands and sharks.
At the end of the book, Rumford has included a simple map and aglossary of Hawaiian concepts and terms used in the book. The Hawaiian language influenced Rumford’s text and illustrations. For example, the Hawaiian word for telling a lie is wahahe’e. That literally translates to slippery mouth. He’e is also the Hawaiian word for octopus. Rumford drew an octopus tattoo upon the cheek (mouth) of one of Kauhi’s (deceitful) friends.
Although this appears to be a picture book, I do not recommend reading this book aloud to very young children. I think that the subject matter would best be appreciated by older students, sixth grade and above. Rumford’s The Island below the Star and Dog of the Sea Waves are better suited for reading aloud with younger audiences.
I do recommend this book for the Hawaiiana and the folklore sections of school and public libraries in Hawaii. It is beneficial for students of Hawaiian ancestry to see their stories in print. I also highly recommend this book to schools where the Hawaiian language is spoken or taught. It would make an excellent addition to a teacher’s unit of study about Shakespeare, Hawaiian folklore, O’ahu, and the Manoa Valley.
Reviewed by Valerie Ota, LIS student, University of Hawaii at Manoa, April 2006
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