As American influence spread across the islands, the old customs and traditions of Hawaii seemed to be disappearing. Young
Princess
Liliuokalani was determined not to let that happen!
Celebration! Hundreds of people came to the luau (say “
LU-ow”) hosted by King Kamehameha III (say “
kah-MAY-hah-MAY-hah). They feasted on foods popular in Hawaii: 270 roasted pigs, 5000 fish, 2000 coconuts, and plenty of poi (say “
PO-ee”), or taro root soup. It was July 31, 1845, Restoration Day, a celebration of Hawaii’s independence from England. Many of the royal children presented gifts to the king, but Princess Lydia’s gift was perhaps the most important to the history of Hawaii.
Songs of My People It was the custom in Hawaii to use songs and oral storytelling to pass history from one generation to another. Nothing had ever been written down – until now. Lydia had used her gift of music to record as many songs as she could on paper so that they would never be lost. She continued to write them down all her life. Eventually Queen Lydia Liliuokalani (say “
lih-lee-uh-wah-kuh-LAH-nee”) wrote new songs for Hawaii. Her most famous song is Aloha Oe. This book is easy to read and a good start to learning about Hawaii’s most famous queen.
About the Author Author Joan Holub carefully researched the story of Queen Liliuokalani to create this work of historical fiction. This book is a good resource for young people who are studying ancient world history and are looking for a more “personal” point of view. The book includes Hawaiian pronunciations and definitions and a timeline of important events. Holub has written more than 80 books for children. See more of her work at www.joanholub.com.