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Hawaiian Picture Book
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The Sleeping Giant
A Tale From Kaua'i


By Edna Cabcabin Moran
BeachHouse Publishing

An enchanted fish is caught by a fisherman on
the island of Kaua'i. To all the villagers surprise,
the fish grows and grows, his scales fall, his fins
turn into arms and legs, and he becomes a giant.
Hungry, the giant eats all the poi in the village.
Everyone scrambles to make more poi. Still, it's
not enough. A kahuna is called in to help. Upon
his advice, oli, or chants, are offered up to help
the giant ease his hunger. But only one young
girl named Pualani can tame the giant with her oli.
The Sleeping Giant is a tale explaining the
existence of the mountain Nounou on Kaua'i
which looks like the outstretched body of a
sleeping giant.
"Moran has created a children’s
book that is at once intelligent
and beautiful..."

R. White, Alameda Sun
 
"A charming and educational
retelling of a Hawaiian legend..."

Aaron Shepard, Award-winning Author

...stands out for its warm,
wondrous illustrations and a
gather-’round-the-campfire
storytelling feel."

J.J. Cotton, Honolulu Advertiser
Nounou mountain
View of Nounou mountain from Kapa’a, Kaua’i. Photo by E. Moran

Sleeping Giant Trivia

• The Sleeping Giant rests in eastern Kaua’i
with his head at Wailua and his feet in Kapa’a.
• Wailua was settled in 1,000 AD by people
from the Marquesas.
• The Wailua River region became home to Kaua’i’s ruling chiefs and the site of Poli’ahu Heiau.
• The Sleeping Giant is the geological remains
of some of the oldest lava rocks on Kaua’i which first appeared above the ocean 5 million years ago.
• Hike along the 4.5 mile trail of the Sleeping
Giant (Nounou mountain) and discover a rich
variety of native and exotic plants.
• Near the 1,250 ft. summit is a picnic site boasting panoramic views of the whole eastern half of the island.
Available in Hawai’i at
Native Books Na Mea
and other fine book stores

ORDER online at
BooklinesHawaii
and Amazon
 
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