Aloha Everything

by Kaylin Melia George, Mae Waite (Illustrator)

Welcome to Aloha Everything, a magical story that will take you on a thrilling journey through the enchanting islands of Hawai'i! In this exciting adventure, you'll encounter mighty canoes crashing over ocean waves, royal hawks soaring high above the clouds, and brilliant lizard creatures jumping nimbly through forest trees! Most importantly, you'll meet a courageous young girl named Ano who learns, grows, and comes to love her island home with all her heart. Aloha Everything is both a captivating read and a fantastic educational resource for learning about Hawaiian history, ecology, and culture. With breathtaking hand-painted illustrations and a beautiful rhyming scheme that will lull little ones into brilliant dreams of vibrant adventure, this book is sure to capture the hearts of both children and parents alike. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey!

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Nature, Fiction, Aapi, Indigenous

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2024

About the author

Kaylin Melia George grew up listening to her mother's bedtime stories about Moloka'i. The planting of these early seeds inspired Kaylin to dedicate her life to storytelling. Kaylin began her professional journey in filmmaking as an internationally award-winning director and screenwriter. Her work has been recognized by the Academy and includes documentaries for some of the most prominent nonprofits in the world. With Aloha Everything, Kaylin found a story close to her heart and celebrates her Native Hawaiian ancestry. This is the story she has always dreamed of telling.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

STUNNING! Do you hear me?!? This book was beautifully written and illustrated and pays homage to the rich, beautiful culture of Hawaii. I don’t think I have the words to describe the beauty that is this book, but I highly recommend it. It may be a little long for a younger age group but if you’re considering it for a read a loud, it would work well for school age children.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aloha Everything is visually stunning! Readers learn what the meaning of hula: a history of the island -its unique geography, flora, fauna- and its people. Poetry filled with Hawaiian words immerses the audience in the island's rhythm. This enchanting picture book prompts consideration of history, nature, and one's understanding of self.
Beautiful in word and image.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This simply stunning rhyming verse explains the connections of the people of Hawaii to dance, song, lore, legend, and, of course, Ohana.

I especially loved the full 2 page spreads spattered through this picture book. It is certainly magical to read and begs to be shared!

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

In rhyming text, readers learn about a Hawaiian child who grows up learning to dance native dances and the creation myths of her people and the land they inhabit.

As beautiful as this book is, not recommended for storytime due to the narrow scope that guarantees a limited audience; also do to the extensive use of native language. Best used for casual enjoyment and/or a classroom unit on Hawaii.

Pronunciation guide and extended info included.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my word! This book is gorgeously written and illustrated! Kaylin did a wonderful job with the written lyrical text, and Mae did a beautiful job with the artistic, colorful paintings. I can't wait to read this to my nieces! (Get your copy when it comes out in April 2024!)

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will not be surprised if this wins the 2025 Caldecott.

[Christine Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a visually stunning book! And the writing is gorgeous. There's so much beauty and pride in the words and message.

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

These illustrations are incredible. And I don't think you'll need to look many of these words up (in the back) if you've been keeping up with your Hawaiian history.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lush picture book about what Ano learns about aloha through hula. Beautiful illustrations.

[pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text was inconsistent imo, but the ART. This book is a visual feast! I audibly gasped at some illustrations - these images glow off the page. Highly recommended, amazing book to just marvel at, with artwork that inspires you to dream and wonder.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading age
5 - 8 years

Absolutely stunning visuals and meaning; however, while there is a glossary in the back a lot of the terms are from the culture. I suggest taking a look beforehand so you don't have to stop every page to look up words.

[Ellie Schaben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Libro FM, Dreamscape Media, Kaylin Melia George, and Red Comet Press for the ALC of this book!

This was an amazing peek into Hawaiian culture, beliefs, and values! I enjoyed the language sprinkled throughout and can only imagine that the beauty of Hawaii is shown on the pages. The narrator was so pleasing to listen to; the cadence of her voice was perfect for the content.

[Shoshana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning illustrations!!

[Cara Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous celebration of the islands and peoples of Hawai'i.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most beautiful book I've ever looked at with my own two eyes

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art was gorgeous and the small details, like animals in the sky, were so beautiful. I thought the text was a little inconsistent, but I was grateful for the pronunciation guide at the end, it was very helpful and provided a bit more context about Hawaiian culture.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations, and I love the pronunciation guide in the back!

[Shana Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most beautiful illustrated book I’ve ever seen.

[Natalie]

Ano, a young girl born in Hawaii, loves the island as much as it loves her. Ano grows up, learning the traditional dance of Hula. Hula teaches Ano a number of lessons, such as how the islands formed from hardening lava, giving way for life in the skies, sea, and on land. A great Hawk teaches Ano to care for the Earth, as it cares for her and all people. Next, Ano learns of the canoes and voyagers that founded the islands and the Aunties who weave the stories of their people into kapa (cloth). She learns ohana, the concept of respecting and caring for your kin. Ano then learns the tales of the great heroes of her people, and how their stories are preserved. Ano learns the importance of Hawaiian lore and mythology. Now grown, Ano takes these lessons to heart and strives to love her land, its people, and their lore. The story ends with a question for the reader: What Did Hula Teach You? There is a pronunciation guide and a glossary, as well as a link to hulapreservation.org for further learning. The lyrical prose and rhyme of the book reflects the author’s experience and skill with storytelling. The images are gorgeous, and attention has been paid to accurate historical and cultural detail. This is a great introduction to Hawaiian folklore. Bright, vivid colors create beautiful landscapes, creatures, and scenes. Mae Waite used a combination of acrylic and gouache paints on paper, creating truly stunning images that incorporate important and historically accurate parts of Hawaiian culture.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A baby is born in Hawai’i and as she grows, she learns about the history, ecology and culture of her home. The ‘io (hawk) teaches her to care for the earth; her aunties teach her to respect her family and history; Laka (the goddess of hula) teaches her to know and be proud of the stories told by hula. It was fascinating to learn that hula is not only a dance; it is a way of portraying the stories of all of the islands’ history.

This book offers a way to understand the spirit of Hawai’i and how storytelling is so important to the culture. The lyrical rhyming text evokes the spirit of all of the animals and family as a way to grow and understand oneself, and includes a lot of words in Hawaiian, with a glossary and pronunciation guide at the end for clarification if needed. Gorgeous hand painted acrylic and gouache artwork creates the feel of an epic saga, and reminds me of the majesty present in Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Only, here there is a brown girl at the center, at the heart of the story, and the colors are bright and tropical. The beautiful girl is up close to the reader, whether dancing hula or flying on the wings of the hawk over her islands. Truly breathtaking!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow, wow! Thank you to the 2025 ALA Youth Media Awards for putting Aloha Everything on my radar. {It won the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature in the Picture Book category.} I am in awe of the words filled with aloha spirit, ‘ohana love, beautiful rhythm, and rich culture. While the words dance, the artwork awes. I was blown away by the vibrant, colorful, exquisite artwork. Blown. Away! On page five, my jaw dropped as I saw the honu swimming graceful under the sea among pool of tropical fish, seals, jellyfish, and other creatures of the deep.

On seeing that particular page, I got goosebumps and was filled with the peace and tranquility I get whenever we visit Maui—and I immediately decided “I need this book!” It will sit on my living room end table or coffee table. Everyone who comes into our home needs to see this gorgeous picture book and experience the feeling of aloha.

[Kendi Freelain]

Aloha Everything written by Kaylin Melia George, illustrated by Mae Waite is the story of a young Hawiian girl named Ano and her beautiful island culture. In this story, readers are taken on a breathtaking journey, learning how her native islands came to be, her brave voyaging ancestors, and the legends that shape her Hawiian culture today. Little Ano has a strong connection to her home and loves her people. I was first drawn to this book because of the beautiful, almost magical illustrations. I really appreciate how the author expresses Hawiian culture and history in a way that can be understood by someone like me, who does not have much knowledge. I think that young readers would greatly benefit from this story as well because of the exposure to cultures that they may be unfamiliar with. The key themes of this story are honoring your culture, and appreciating the rich gifts that we have been given by the earth.

[Emoen Meadors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 2024
Genre: mythology/folklore
The booked called Aloha Everything by Kaylin Melia George and Mae Waite is a beautiful story that shows the true meaning of Aloha through hula and all of the remarkable things the Hawaiian island has to offer. It’s told through a girl named Ano who is learning all of these things about her home, it’s filled with many Hawaiian words, traditional art work, and ancient myths. This book would be great to show kids about Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage and culture, it’s vibrant and was created by two Hawaiian women sharing the stories they’ve been told their whole lives. I enjoyed reading this story since I am part Hawaiian and my mom grew up saying some of the words in here like “pau” which means done and tutu which is what we call my grandma. The art even reminds me of some of the Hawaiian paintings my mom has hanging up of these beautiful girls with long brown hair and flowers by their ears.

[Sir Vicks of Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book consists of gorgeous illustrations and a long poem that at times rhymes and at times seems to just list things from the islands it is hoping to represent.

As an ignorant person who is always looking to learn more I felt like this book wasn't for me, or for the sharing of cultural knowledge. The text seemed to be a wink and a gun to people who would get it, and pointlessly, like this nut or this leaf was mentioned. I don't know the significance of that nut or leaf other than they grow there. I can't help but feel like there is more to know? Why were those specific things mentioned?

It felt like a whole book of iykyk.

I don't mind the feeling of other/confusion/exclusion, as it's not one I have to face a lot due to my presenting privileges, but I can't help but feel like we should all be doing better. Representation with the face of exclusivity, idk, it's not the woke world I wanna live in.
I will say, I may have felt different if there was a foreward employed or author's note rather than a glossary of terms' pronunciation.
The glossary in the back would have been useful to check ahead of time. Unfortunately, I chose this lengthy book for bedtime story and felt so overwhelmed by the wealth of words, in verse no less, to flip through it and find the glossary. I don't know if a child of this culture would feel differently, or any child, but the hefty word count was demanding even to me, a grown up. I read a new library book to my kid every day, and have been a lifetime reader- this book has so many words. so many.
I mean to say, I'm not sure how readable this is for children. It felt more like a school centric book, yet I didn't learn anything about Hawaiian folks other than hula teaches them stuff-- like, spiritual and ephemeral stuff? by the end the poem had sort of meandered into a philosophical or metaphorical piece that I found taxing and didn't follow.
Sorry.
Still, a worthwhile endeavor and I truly hope it's just not for me and I can take heart in that. Not everything is for me. I deeply enjoyed the illustrations nonetheless :)

Aloha, friends.

[Andre J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Aloha Everything and I was absolutely blown away. The visuals in this book are leagues above what I normally see in children's books. The spreads absolutely come to life and perfectly pair with the text. I personally find it so rare to see anapestic meter outside of Dr. Seuss yet I am in love with the way it pairs English and Hawaiian words together in prose. When I was reading it aloud to my students, they were utterly enraptured. Despite Hawai'i holding such an important cultural hold in the US, there is a huge scarcity of Pacific Islander stories written by Pacific Islander Authors. Kaylin George does an amazing job bringing the stories told by her mother to life and Mae Waite beautifully captures a child's dazzling imagination with her paint brush. Everyone should check this out now!

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

A poetic celebration of hula and Hawaiian culture and history. Follow a young girl's journey to become a hula dancer, learning about her heritage, culture, folklore, and the natural world of her island home through dance.

Absolutely gorgeous. The artwork is breathtaking. Each page is packed with color, emotion, and nature imagery.

Told through rhythmic, lyrical text, the story immerses the reader into the world of Hawai'i, introducing them to its plants, animals, history, folklore, and storytelling.

At the back of the book is a pronunciation guide and a glossary of terms used in the story and how they fit into Hawaiian culture.

A beautiful story with breathtaking artwork and a soothing rhythm.

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another first rate book for the year 2024. This is another contender for the Caldecott award. This year has some great books to choose from when it comes to artwork. This is the 3rd or 4th book that is the top of the top this year.

This is a cultural history of Hawaii told in verse all about their stories and people and their mythology as well. The poem had so much energy and the love overflowed from the verse. You can feel the pride in the Hawaiian culture in this book and the love of their history.

I loved the artwork. It had just as much color and energy as the island, full of flowers and volcanos. It's just erupting with creativity and creation. The colors flow and bound forward in this book. I was blown away. Just amazing. Just a fabulous read. A great way to start my day.

I think anyone will enjoy this little book. What a great experience.

[Allison Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Date: 2024
Award: Notable Books for a Global Society Award
Genre: Picturebook, poetry, fiction

Summary: In this book, it takes you all along a journey throughout Hawaii and the different islands where we learn interesting facts about the islands in such a fun way. Throughout the book, we meet a girl named Ano where we then follow how she learns to love her island and all it has to offer her. I thought that this book was very interesting as it was in a poetry styled writing, but also teaches the reader about Hawaii, as well as the message to love what your home has to offer you. I would use this book in my future classroom to teach students to love their home for what it offers them, as well as learn about the Hawaiian culture, especially since a lot of families travel to Hawaii for vacations, I think it would have a lot to offer students to learn more about.

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this children’s picture book are truly stunning. Definitely works of art. I love that this book exists for Hawaiian representation in children’s books. However, the text is laced with Hawaiian words and even with the definitions in the back will require some context for younger children. So not recommended for a non-Hawaiian child’s very first book about Hawaii. Best as part of a unit or for those already somewhat familiar with Hawaiian culture and the native plants and animals of the islands. I wish some of the legends referenced in the illustrations could have been summarized in the back. Those who know the stories already will love their inclusion, those who don’t may be inspired to do more research. There are downloadable resources - a teacher’s guide and I-Spy worksheets on the publisher’s website.