By Misha Stone and Mahina Oshie in The Seattle Times 5/14/25
The Seattle Public Library loves to promote books and reading. This column, submitted by the library, is a space to share reading and book trends from a librarian’s perspective. You can find these titles at the library by visiting spl.org and searching the catalog.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, but often, Pacific Islander and Filipino books and authors are less acknowledged in publishing, articles and displays. Here are some Pacific Islander and Filipino voices to discover in May and beyond.
“Kapaemahu,” a picture book by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, illustrated by Daniel Sousa, resurrects a story suppressed for over a century.
Based on the short animated film of the same name released in 2020, the book tells the journey of four Māhū healers from Tahiti to O’ahu. Each visitor — Kapaemahu, Kapuni, Kinohi and Kahaloa — brings their gentle ways and unique healing gifts to share with the people of Hawaii. In gratitude, four large stones were erected in their honor at Waikīkī. Buried under a bowling alley for two decades, the stones and their story have now been restored.
The text, in English and ʻōlelo Niʻihau (the only surviving form of Hawaiian that was spoken prior to European contact), is accompanied by beautiful, warm-toned illustrations. For pronunciation help, download the audiobook narrated by Wong-Kalu to listen as you read along.
See the full article and list of books here.
