On the island of Hawai'i in the district of Ka'u, spread across the Kama'oa Plain are the Children of the Gourd. Follow in the footsteps of a chief as he makes his way from Kama'oa to Kapu'a, guided by a tiny green vine sprouting from the burial cave of his wife, the chiefess. This magical tale delves into the past to reveal how the people of this region came to be named.

Adapted and Illustrated by
Caren Ke'ala Loebel-Fried
Hawaiian translation by Kaliko Beamer-Trapp
Published by Bishop Museum Press

Honolulu Star Advertiser
December 12, 2010
Season's reading
Isle-related fiction, how-to and pictorial books make great gifts for the holidays

By Burl Burlingame

"LEGEND OF THE GOURD"

As a writer, Loebel-Fried tends to be overshadowed by her extraordinary block-print illustrations. That's not really fair, as Loebel-Fried's storytelling abilities are first rate, and she has the uncanny ability to suggest much in just a few words. She is also helped along by Kaliko Beamer-Trapp's Hawaiian translations. Loebel-Fried has won the American Folklore Society's Aesop prize for Children's Folklore and a Ka Palapala Po'okela from the Hawai'i Book Publishers Association.

"Gourd" might put more trophies on her mantle. The district of Kau, on the Big Island's Kamaoa Plain, is reputed to house the "Children of the Gourd," so named after a legend of two lovelorn alii and a tragedy that passes between them. The story is told through the gourd itself, a symbol of the Hawaiian people's connection to the land.

The story has resonance in Christian mythology as well. It's gorgeously illustrated and handsomely designed. Not just for kids.