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Kapaemahu
An Indigenous legend about how four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit, or Mahu, brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii, based on the Oscar Award-contending short film.
In the 15th Century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing.
As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today.
With illuminating words and stunning illustrations by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Daniel Sousa, KAPAEMAHU is a monument to an Indigenous Hawaiian legend and a classic in the making.
In the 15th Century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing.
As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today.
With illuminating words and stunning illustrations by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Daniel Sousa, KAPAEMAHU is a monument to an Indigenous Hawaiian legend and a classic in the making.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2022
3 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
April 9, 2023
I was so happy to see this book - glad to see more books like this that focus on Hawaiian mythology. This is very much a myth about elders who give knowledge to a group of people as a gift; that gift then binds the group to what Joseph Campbell called the mystical/metaphysical function of myths: a 'homecoming' of identity that transcends individuality - often only attained after an outsider (elder) opens the 'doors of perception' that were once shut to the group. Beautiful illustrations.
March 19, 2023
If I don't know anything else, one thing that I do know is that Kapaemahu is one of the most beautiful picture books that I've ever read. I cannot thank Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu for sharing this story with readers. Prior, to reading this book I did not know that a short film already existed. I highly recommend checking it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO29Q....
Kapaemahu follows the story of four dual male and female spirits that traveled to Hawaii. While there, they provided people with cures, healing arts, and more. Four boulders were erected in honor of these four spirits, their leader being Kapaemahu. However, due to colonization the four boulders became lost. This picture book revitalizes this legend and shares with everyone the cultural traditions of Indigenous communities that must not be lost. I found myself reading the words over and over again looking at the each one in pure amazement and fascination. I love that this book is bilingual with readers having the opportunity to see the story told in both English and Olelo Niihau. It is a picture book that views environmentalism, gender, healing, and more from the perspective of an Indigenous community before Western contact. I cannot recommend this book enough. The illustrations, the story, everything was absolutely remarkable.
Kapaemahu follows the story of four dual male and female spirits that traveled to Hawaii. While there, they provided people with cures, healing arts, and more. Four boulders were erected in honor of these four spirits, their leader being Kapaemahu. However, due to colonization the four boulders became lost. This picture book revitalizes this legend and shares with everyone the cultural traditions of Indigenous communities that must not be lost. I found myself reading the words over and over again looking at the each one in pure amazement and fascination. I love that this book is bilingual with readers having the opportunity to see the story told in both English and Olelo Niihau. It is a picture book that views environmentalism, gender, healing, and more from the perspective of an Indigenous community before Western contact. I cannot recommend this book enough. The illustrations, the story, everything was absolutely remarkable.
June 7, 2022
Listened to the audiobook read by the author in English and Hawaiian. Can’t wait to see the movie and read the book for the illustrations. Although I grew up hearing Hawaiian myths and historical stories, i had never this one. Can’t wait to learn more!
August 10, 2022
I hope this book makes it into schools across the country. Highly, highly, highly recommend!
December 24, 2023
Thank you to Kim --- Native Lady Book Warrior for the Skoden Readathon and to Cozy Reader Kelly for all the Indigenous books listed on your channel.
This was listed in two formats on Libby: audio- and E- book. The author is a native of Hawaii and speaks the Native language as well as English, and the book is written in those formats concurrently. The audiobook is spoken in both languages as written.
Respectfully, I chose after a couple of pages to read the illustrated E-book myself. The bilingual formatting is new to me tonight. This is something as a result of my choosing to participate in the Skoden Readathon that I've come across. While I agree with the author, the language needs to be continued, once hearing it, the best I could contribute would be documenting the audiobook availability on Libby.
The book is based on a story that has been handed down for centuries in Hawaii. Today, there is a monument that is sacred. There are four stones that exist. The stones hold holistic power that was placed originally by four healers. The story is actually sad in that the Native history is being lost.
The illustrations are primitive, and once again effective.
This was listed in two formats on Libby: audio- and E- book. The author is a native of Hawaii and speaks the Native language as well as English, and the book is written in those formats concurrently. The audiobook is spoken in both languages as written.
Respectfully, I chose after a couple of pages to read the illustrated E-book myself. The bilingual formatting is new to me tonight. This is something as a result of my choosing to participate in the Skoden Readathon that I've come across. While I agree with the author, the language needs to be continued, once hearing it, the best I could contribute would be documenting the audiobook availability on Libby.
The book is based on a story that has been handed down for centuries in Hawaii. Today, there is a monument that is sacred. There are four stones that exist. The stones hold holistic power that was placed originally by four healers. The story is actually sad in that the Native history is being lost.
The illustrations are primitive, and once again effective.
May 6, 2022
LOVE the story this shares, and appreciate the many connections kids can make with the text -- gender identity, cultural preservation, environmental activism, and more.
March 28, 2023
Content warnings are listed at the end of my review!
This is a massive improvement from Ho'onani: Hula Warrior (My Review) because even though these books are related and involve some of the same parties, this one actually directly involves a Hawaiian voice in the story, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. Her work made this what it is, bringing her immeasurable cultural pride and knowledge to the table to really make this work beautiful snapshot into the preservation of history. Inversely, I'm still not a fan of Dean Hamer, known for his 35 years of work in the United States government doing pseudoscientific research on things like the "gay gene" and "god gene", I don't trust his motives involving himself in a culture that is not his. It is a limited scope in what it shows, but for a picture book and introduction to cultural preservation through time and fighting against cultural erasure, it is a good icebreaker.
The story gives us the context to a rich historical landmark of Hawai'i, “Ka Pohaku Kahuna Kapaemahu”. The tale of the stone's significance was a piece of oral history, eventually written down based on the words of James Aalapuna Harbottle Boyd- serving as the basis of the script of the film this book is based off of, written as close as possible to how it would have been spoken. It is told that four māhū (Indigenous third-gender) journeyed to Hawai'i, each processing the mind, heart, and spirit of both men and women. Each of them processed skills from the Gods in healing, sharing their knowledge with the people of the islands. Once their work was complete, they were commemorated by a monument, large stones placed on Waikīkī Beach. The healers embedded their powers within the stones, then left, the stones remaining a sacred site. With time and colonization, the stones became forgotten and buried, but have since been recovered, though their history, especially the māhū have been erased.
Summary:
Readability: ★★★★☆, I love the bilingual presentation of the book, it's such a nice detail! It's a simple but powerful story. I would have liked more context, possibly more geographic information, and more time showing the stones and how they remained culturally significant and more on their recovery process. It'd be nice to see more about Hawaiian māhū people throughout time and currently too!
Entertainment: ★★★★★, I really liked it, it was a beautifully educational book, with some nice context in the back!
Audience: This is a great addition to any gender-diverse children's literature collections, especially showing historical cultural genders, and global gender diversity.
Content Warnings: colonization, illness
This is a massive improvement from Ho'onani: Hula Warrior (My Review) because even though these books are related and involve some of the same parties, this one actually directly involves a Hawaiian voice in the story, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. Her work made this what it is, bringing her immeasurable cultural pride and knowledge to the table to really make this work beautiful snapshot into the preservation of history. Inversely, I'm still not a fan of Dean Hamer, known for his 35 years of work in the United States government doing pseudoscientific research on things like the "gay gene" and "god gene", I don't trust his motives involving himself in a culture that is not his. It is a limited scope in what it shows, but for a picture book and introduction to cultural preservation through time and fighting against cultural erasure, it is a good icebreaker.
The story gives us the context to a rich historical landmark of Hawai'i, “Ka Pohaku Kahuna Kapaemahu”. The tale of the stone's significance was a piece of oral history, eventually written down based on the words of James Aalapuna Harbottle Boyd- serving as the basis of the script of the film this book is based off of, written as close as possible to how it would have been spoken. It is told that four māhū (Indigenous third-gender) journeyed to Hawai'i, each processing the mind, heart, and spirit of both men and women. Each of them processed skills from the Gods in healing, sharing their knowledge with the people of the islands. Once their work was complete, they were commemorated by a monument, large stones placed on Waikīkī Beach. The healers embedded their powers within the stones, then left, the stones remaining a sacred site. With time and colonization, the stones became forgotten and buried, but have since been recovered, though their history, especially the māhū have been erased.
Summary:
Readability: ★★★★☆, I love the bilingual presentation of the book, it's such a nice detail! It's a simple but powerful story. I would have liked more context, possibly more geographic information, and more time showing the stones and how they remained culturally significant and more on their recovery process. It'd be nice to see more about Hawaiian māhū people throughout time and currently too!
Entertainment: ★★★★★, I really liked it, it was a beautifully educational book, with some nice context in the back!
Audience: This is a great addition to any gender-diverse children's literature collections, especially showing historical cultural genders, and global gender diversity.
Content Warnings: colonization, illness
February 5, 2023
What a delightful gem!
4 Giant Tahitian two-spirit people bring science and culture to the peoples of Hawaii and bring them these sacred stones to remember them.
However, time and colonists changed things.
Will their legacy live on?
Simplistic yet beautiful illustrations of this legend dance across the page. Truly a worthwhile quick read for youth!
4 Giant Tahitian two-spirit people bring science and culture to the peoples of Hawaii and bring them these sacred stones to remember them.
However, time and colonists changed things.
Will their legacy live on?
Simplistic yet beautiful illustrations of this legend dance across the page. Truly a worthwhile quick read for youth!
January 13, 2023
I highly suggest watching the animation.
April 26, 2024
Beautifully narrated and illustrated history of an overlooked landmark in a modernly overcrowded tourist city. Books like this, especially children's books, are essential to keeping alive the history, language, and culture of the Hawaiian peoples, and I hope to read more like it soon.
Read
February 14, 2025Will need to see the movie
January 1, 2025
Would give this six stars if I could. Important book highlighting the history and legacy of Kapaemahu stones of Waikiki. Saw the corresponding short film as well, powerful.
May 9, 2022
This extraordinary book recounts the arrival of four healers to Waikiki many centuries ago, led by Kapaemahu, as well as the work they did, and the stone monuments that represent them. Colonization attempted to bury the stones, as well as the cultural significance of Mahu-- those who are a blend of male and female in the mind, body, and spirit. These sacred stones have since been recovered, and thanks to books like this one, readers all over the world can learn of their power and origins.
March 23, 2024
This book is gorgeous. I read through it twice in one sitting just to experience the art a second time.
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This recounts the traditional Hawaiian story of the four mahu (a mixture of male and female) visitors who brought gifts of healing and spirituality to Hawaii. A monument was erected in their honor: four great boulders, under which the healers placed idols representing the dual spirit of mahu. But over time, the monument disappeared into the earth, giving way to modernism and colonization. After a long time, the boulders were recovered, but the effect of their suppression (and the continued suppression of history) persists.
.
This book filled me with awe and appreciation of historical storytelling. Simply beautiful. A new favorite.
.
This recounts the traditional Hawaiian story of the four mahu (a mixture of male and female) visitors who brought gifts of healing and spirituality to Hawaii. A monument was erected in their honor: four great boulders, under which the healers placed idols representing the dual spirit of mahu. But over time, the monument disappeared into the earth, giving way to modernism and colonization. After a long time, the boulders were recovered, but the effect of their suppression (and the continued suppression of history) persists.
.
This book filled me with awe and appreciation of historical storytelling. Simply beautiful. A new favorite.
August 21, 2023
Colonizers know that history has power, that stories have power, that traditions have power. Though colonizers tried to suppress the story of the healing stones by burying the stones themselves, efforts were made to save and publicly display the stones. However the display itself also hides the gender identity of the four healers in the traditional Hawaiian tale.
This book not only brings the original story to life, but also talks about the fate of the stones themselves. It’s now partially up to us readers to keep the story alive.
This book not only brings the original story to life, but also talks about the fate of the stones themselves. It’s now partially up to us readers to keep the story alive.
May 12, 2023
We love a bilingual moment and specifically an indigenous story as well. Always such a gift when folks share their folklore and their history. I love the centering of the Mahu or two-spirited Folks in this. It’s always important to know as long as there have been people there have been queer people. 🙌🏼
September 30, 2023
What a gorgeous illustrated children's book!! I've never encountered a book that is a read-along that also highlights each word as it is spoken. The book is bilingual, in Ni'ihau Hawaiian and English. This format is such a lovely preservation of the native language and Hawaiian mythology, and I can't wait to find other books like it!!
November 28, 2022
This is a neat story about healing stones and the mahu (third gender, or people who exhibit both feminine and masculine traits) who created them. I really enjoyed listening to the story in the native Hawaiian, though I needed the English translation in order to understand the words.
I also greatly appreciated the authors' notes and history portion of the audiobook. Learning more about the stones themselves and how they (and the mahu) have been treated over the years was both informational and hopeful for the future.
(I listened to the audiobook version of this story.)
I also greatly appreciated the authors' notes and history portion of the audiobook. Learning more about the stones themselves and how they (and the mahu) have been treated over the years was both informational and hopeful for the future.
(I listened to the audiobook version of this story.)
February 5, 2023
I am not a parent, but this should be a book every single child should read. So beautiful to see Indigenous Hawaiian, bilingual, and third gender stories in children's media.
February 14, 2023
Beautiful. As is the short animated film version, where you can hear the native language and music.
June 17, 2024
This was so good 😭
A children’s book written in two languages!!! about four Tahitian Mahu healers who sailed to Waikiki and shared their skills and knowledge with native Hawaiians.
This showed the importance of storytelling and passing those stories down through generations to preserve native culture.
A children’s book written in two languages!!! about four Tahitian Mahu healers who sailed to Waikiki and shared their skills and knowledge with native Hawaiians.
This showed the importance of storytelling and passing those stories down through generations to preserve native culture.
March 5, 2025
actually crying rn this is so beautiful, sending this to my grandma (who is Kanaka and rarely sees her homeland these days) immediately
June 28, 2022
Kapaemahu is a bilingual picture book sharing a close-to-forgotten Indigenous story. The audiobook narrates the tale in alternating English and Hawaiian language. It describes Mahu and their cultural significance - people who exist as a third gender, a blend of male and female in mind, body and heart. It explains the way traditional stories are set aside to fade. But it also highlights how ancestors are working to highlight, reignite and share these valuable tales with the modern world.
The book's endnotes highlight the importance of such storytelling. It provides a history of the healing stones within the story and how colonization has impacted their existence. A no-doubt valuable and significant publication, Kapaemahu is something to share and discuss traditions, culture, difference and history.
Note: Review copy (audio) received from Libro FM. This does not impact opinions within this review.
becandbooks.com ‧ trigger warning database ‧ more links
The book's endnotes highlight the importance of such storytelling. It provides a history of the healing stones within the story and how colonization has impacted their existence. A no-doubt valuable and significant publication, Kapaemahu is something to share and discuss traditions, culture, difference and history.
Note: Review copy (audio) received from Libro FM. This does not impact opinions within this review.
becandbooks.com ‧ trigger warning database ‧ more links
December 19, 2022
Beautiful story and illustrations.
June 7, 2022
This is a short children’s book but the legend of how sacred stones ended up in Hawaii is very interesting. It also was told in two languages. And taught me about Mahu - which are third gender people in the Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures. Very good book!
October 3, 2024
*4.5/5 stars
Beautifully narrated, and the sound design was a wonderful touch.
Beautifully narrated, and the sound design was a wonderful touch.
November 4, 2022
Picture book-- mythology. This is a Native Hawaiian legend written in bilingual form, with the Native Hawaiian Olelo Niihau language appearing first and English underneath. The legend is of the four spirits who came from Tahiti to Waikiki, Hawaii, "not male; they were not female. They were mahu-- a mixture of both in mind, heart, and spirit." The four visitors were blessed by the Gods with healing powers. Four boulders were brought in to erect a monument in their honor and the healers transferred their powers to the stones. The stones were a sacred site until time moved on and they were buried under a bowling alley. Luckily when they were unearthed 22 years later, there were still community members who knew their significance. The book mirrors a short film of the same name, but the film has the benefit of being narrated in the Native language with the English only appearing in subtitles. Author's note discusses the need to portray history accurately, as the signage in Waikiki neglected to mention the mahu nature of the spirits. Back matter includes the author's note, history of the stones, information about the Olelo Niihau language, and a brief glossary. The video is available to watch for free online and the website offers additional context as well.
October 13, 2023
This book is based on the animated short film (8') by the authors that was shortlisted for an Oscar at the 2021 Academy Awards. Watch it at https://kapaemahu.com/
Long ago, four Tahitians journeyed across the ocean from their home in Moaulanuiakea to Hawaii.
...
They were not male; they were not female. They were mahu - a mixture of both in mind, heart, and spirit. (This has put this book on banned-lists).
Indeed, the leader of the group was named Kapaemahu.
A beautiful story that gives me goosebumps as it develops.
Sacred stone monuments were erected. But 700 years later, we find these stones buried.
While recovered, the story of the mahu is being suppressed.
This holistic approach to health and healing needs to be remembered!
Read more at:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapaemahu
This book is a perfect encapsulation of this short film.
Long ago, four Tahitians journeyed across the ocean from their home in Moaulanuiakea to Hawaii.
...
They were not male; they were not female. They were mahu - a mixture of both in mind, heart, and spirit. (This has put this book on banned-lists).
Indeed, the leader of the group was named Kapaemahu.
A beautiful story that gives me goosebumps as it develops.
Sacred stone monuments were erected. But 700 years later, we find these stones buried.
While recovered, the story of the mahu is being suppressed.
This holistic approach to health and healing needs to be remembered!
Read more at:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapaemahu
This book is a perfect encapsulation of this short film.
May 7, 2023
This one is important because it gives one of the best and easiest explanations I’ve ever read about nonbinary gender. That isn’t really the point of this book, which makes it all the more amazing. The point of this story is to remember some of the history and legends of Hawaii. While I found the subject unusual, I welcome it’s addition to kids’ lit on a subject rarely, if ever spoken about! I love that it is bilingual, in the one dialect that has survived from before the English (language and people) invasion of Hawaii! Recommended. 2023 stonewall Honor Award.
Read
February 4, 2022This went places I hadn't expected, and I really like that it absolutely went there with the damning of colonization and gentrification. The art is beautiful, and I also like that the primary language (in the sense that it's on top, since that's where our eyes go first) is not English. Beautiful book and project. I'll have to go find the film.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews