da Shop Author Talk: Kamalani Hurley in conversation with Harinane Orme

Come join us in person for an exciting da Shop talk story with author Kamalani Hurley, who’s sitting down with illustrator Harianne Orme to discuss their nationally acclaimed picture book, Kahoʻolawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People. This event is geared for ages 6 and up, but all are welcome! Don’t miss out on the chance to hear directly from the book’s author and illustrator, as well as an audience Q&A and art & writing activity!

About the book:

In the middle of the great Pacific Ocean is a little island. Her name is Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe.

Discover the story of an island sacred to Native Hawaiians. Beginning with her birth in a volcanic eruption, Kaho‘olawe thrives surrounded by animals on land and in the sea. When Polynesian voyagers arrive and begin to raise their families there, the island is happy. As the years pass, invasive goats devastate the ecosystem, and during World War II and the decades that follow, the US military claims the island for target practice. Kaho‘olawe is hurt. Yet activists never give up on the island, and they finally succeed in reclaiming her.

Kaho‘olawe endures.

Author Kamalani Hurley and illustrator Harinani Orme present the remarkable story of the smallest Hawaiian island, encompassing loss and erasure, sacrifice and dedication, and ultimately restoration, highlighting hope, resilience, and aloha ‘āina (deep love of the land).

About the author:

Author Hurley is a Native Hawaiian living in Honolulu who now devotes her time to writing about and for her indigenous community. In her Author's Note for Kahoʻolawe, she says, "Like many Native
Hawaiians of my generation, I had heard that Kahoʻolawe was a barren rock, and for a long time I believed those stories. The Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s opened our eyes to the history, language, and cultural traditions that had been taken from us. When my youngest daughter went on a science huakaʻi—a trip—to Kahoʻolawe, she returned filled with a renewed pride in being Hawaiian that continues to inspire our 'ohana."
Hurley has pledged 100 percent of her author proceeds from sales of the book to the Protect Kaho'olawe ‘Ohana, whose mission is “to perpetuate Aloha 'Āina throughout our islands through cultural, educational, and spiritual activities that heal and revitalize the cultural and natural resources on Kaho'olawe."

About the illustrator:

Illustrator Orme is a Native Hawaiian artist who was born and raised in Honolulu. In preparation for creating her illustrations, she spent several days as a volunteer on Kahoʻolawe.

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