'Ohana Means Family: A Wonder of a Picture Book

 Even those of us who have never traveled to Hawaii will still be familiar with the words and concepts of POI and LU'AU.  'OHANA MEANS FAMILY is a delightful new picture book that joyfully proclaims the heritage of native Hawaiians and the role of POI and LU'AU through the familiar literary structure and cumulative text of THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.

NEAL PORTER BOOKS
2020

Author Ilima Loomis and illustrator Kenard Pak provide readers with a virtual visit to a Hawaiian fictional family's experience with a joyous  gathering and all that goes into making it possible.

Lyrical lines elevate a simplistic structure to follow  POI on a journey backwards from meal preparation, through every step in the process. The taro root (kalo) is traced from planting, to care, and on through the eventual growth and harvest as Hawaii's staple food, all within the embrace of loving families, an ideal tropical climate, and rich volcanic soil. 

The luminous glow of sunshine, intense greens and blues, sunlit faces and bodies, and a landscape both natural and cultivated invite readers to join 'Ohana (Family) throughout their multi-generational experiences, giving thanks, and sharing a table to celebrate their lives in a paradise of bounty and grace. 

The center spread is one of my favorites in a book filled with quiet wonder, each offering unique and suitable angles and lighting and interacting forms. This central spread features a background of tangerine sun and sprawling mountains with a midground of backlit figures of every age, working and playing in the shadowed waters of a kalo field, with its heart-shaped leaves forming a foreground base. 

"This is 'ohana, the loved ones we hold,

who give thanks for the sun, all bright and bold,

that warms the wind on which stories are told,

 that lifts the rain to the valley fold,"

... 

This small snippet of the work is a tasting portion of text, images, and story, balanced and blended to create an informative picture book. This  also reflects layers upon layers of Hawaiian heritage: musical and oral storytelling, community collaboration, family-centric celebrations, appreciation of nature and its bounty, welcoming of others, patience, and peace. The concepts and themes developed in this picture book are especially suited to this structural choice because there is a tune/chant associated with the centuries-old "This Is The House" text, making the lovely lines of this work singable. 

The author note in back matter  describes the Lu'au and Kalo and Poi traditional practices using a wide array of Hawaiian vocabulary, followed by a brief note from the author and a glossary of those actual words. This lifts the appeal from a song-like circle story to a brilliant addition to cultural studies, geography, and agricultural studies. Once again, a seemingly simple picture books proves itself worthy of an expansive audience.