A is for Aloha: A Hawai'i Alphabet [Hardcover]

U'ilani Goldsberry (Author), Tammy Yee (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Completing our acclaimed Discover America State by State series is A is for Aloha: A Hawaii Alphabet. The landscape of Hawaii is as exotic as its history and people. Written and illustrated by native Hawaiians, U'ilani Goldsberry and Tammy Yee, A is for Aloha is a lovingly created introduction to one of the most-visited places on Earth.

From the meaning of the word aloha to the plight of the state bird author U'ilani Goldsberry answers questions that most Malihinis have about the lush multi-island paradise.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

U'ilani Goldsberry was born on the island of Maui, in the small town of Pu'unene (the hill of the goose). Later her family moved to La'ie, on the northeastern coast of O'ahu. She has lived there ever since. U'ilani has written 10 books on various topics, including travelogues, cookbooks and other nonfiction works, as well as three Auntie U'i children's books: "The Storm Dog of the Ko'olau's," "The Shark Man of Hana" and "The Naupaka." A is for Aloha is her first book for Sleeping Bear Press.

Tammy Yee grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she explored tide pools, swam in streams and wrote and illustrated spooky stories her teachers politely read. After she graduated from college she worked as a nurse. Having children rekindled her love for picture books, so in 1994 she exchanged her stethoscope for a paintbrush and she's been illustrating ever since. Tammy lives in Windward Oahu with her family, three birds, two upside-down jellyfish and a guinea pig named Twinkie.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585361461
• ISBN-13: 978-1585361465
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 11.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Hawaiian
  • #15 in Books > Children's Books > History > United States > State & Local
  • #81 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > United States

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A is for Aloha... good for all ages, June 10, 2006

By 

R Schmidt (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A is for Aloha: A Hawai'i Alphabet (Hardcover)

What a great book! This one, written by U'Ilani Goldsberry and illustrated by Tammy Yee, is a nice addition to the Discover America State By State series. The alphabet is focused on Hawaiiana, of course. There are details of the alphabetized words ("A is for aloha") that make it appropriate for all ages, and I found them quite interesting.

There were a few things that irritated me. "Leis" is a weird word, since there is no "s" in the Hawaiian alphabet to mix with the Hawaiian word "lei". And "Zoning" for "z"... what's this about? Nevertheless, Goldsberry's text, and of course Tammy Yee's exquisite watercolors, make this a wonderful gift for that special person who is a kid at heart.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A is for Aloha: A Hawai'i Alphabet Edition, July 27, 2007

By 

Pearl Harb "Pearl" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A is for Aloha: A Hawai'i Alphabet (Hardcover)

We ordered this book for our grandson to give as a gift on our return trip from Hawaii. We had vacationed on two of the islands for 2 weeks.
The book was such a delight. It was fun for us to review the things that we saw and be able to share it with our boys through the book. The book was very factual, colorful and our grandsons loved it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A big hit for kids as well as adults, June 24, 2009

By 

Kristen M. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A is for Aloha: A Hawai'i Alphabet (Hardcover)

Bought this book to be given from my children to their grandparents who live in Hawaii. Illustrations are BEAUTIFUL! Also love that it can be read different ways - each letter has both a short rhyme as well as a longer informational section. My kids loved hearing the book read with the rhymes for each letter, "A is for..." The grandparents loved (in addition to reading the book to their grandkids) learning new and interesting facts about their state and commented often, "I didn't know that!"
Overall very pleased with this book and this series in general!