Iwalani's Tree - Hardcover

by Constance Hale (Author), Kathleen Peterson (Illustrator)

A young girl, 'Iwalani, likes to wander down to the beach to an ironwood tree (Casuarina equisetifolia) which is a windbreak. There she plays - to her it is her playground, jungle gym, her secret friends and a wise elder. From this tree she learns about nature cycles, what freedom imagination has to offer and the power of dreams. This story is written in a blank verse format.

Front Jacket

On the North Shore of O'ahu, a girl named 'Iwalani lives with her family not far from Ka'ena Point, at the island's westernmost tip. 'Iwalani likes to wander down the beach to a place where an ironwood tree stands as a windbreakjust on the spot where the land becomes sand. The tree is 'Iwalani's playground, jungle gym, secret friend, and wise elder, all in one. From the ironwood she learns about the cycles of nature, the promise of imaginative freedom, and the power of dreams. Written as a gentle poem, with soft rhythms and playful language, 'Iwalani's Tree is the perfect bedtime book. Like a soft wind, it will lull your child to sleep.

Author Biography

About the author Constance Hale has covered Hawaiian dance for the Los Angeles Times, sentence magic for the New York Times, and San Francisco politics and culture for national newspapers and magazines. Her books on language and literary style--including Sin and Syntax and Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch--are used in classrooms across the country and the globe. She lives in California and Hawai'i but grew up on the beach at Mokule-'ia with many friends among the ironwood trees.