Kohala Kuamo’o: Nae’ole’s Race to Save a King

Kawai’ae’a, K. (2010). Kohala Kuamo’o: Nae’ole’s Race to Save a King. Honolulu: Kamehameha Publishing. 

Hardcover | $16.00 USD | ISBN-13: 978-0873362320 | 32 pgs | Juvenile Picture Book

Oral histories are passed down in Hawaii and this one is no different. A prophecy said there would be a great king that would rule over all of Hawaii. Of course this worried the ruling chiefs and they demanded all newborns be killed. The baby was born and he was in immediate danger.  But then Nae’ole saved the newborn.

Nae’ole had to run far away to take the baby to safety.  He was able to run without losing his breath. Nae’ole ran through a storm and it was dangerous. He could not be caught or Kamehameha’s life would be lost. He received plenty of help in hiding the newborn along the route. King Kamehameha’s life was saved due to the help of those Nae’ole encountered across the land of Kohala. Nae’ole was entrusted to watching over this babe and took care of him throughout his childhood.  Kamehameha would go on to unite the Hawaiian Islands in 1810 and it would not have been possible with Nae’ole.

This book was published by three generations in the Kawai’ae’a family at the 200-year anniversary mark of King Kamehameha’s unification of Hawaii.  Its inspiration was a school project in which the grandchild wanted to learn about the meaning behind his name. There is a website where you can meet the family or take a virtual tour of Kohala here. Kohala is a very special place to those who live there – the history is rich with traditions and stories. 

Kamehameha Publishing has an interactive website on the book which provides useful information and links.  It can be located here: http://www.kamehamehapublishing.org/kohalakuamoo/#book

If you are interested, you can watch the book being read on Youtube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccU-QF9j0_I.

Kohala Kuamo’o has been recognized by the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. Coming soon from Kamehameha Publishing in Sept. 2013 is Kamehameha: The Rise of a King. For more information on this publication, please visit: http://kpstore.deliveryhawaii.net/KS/product/978-0-87336-322-8.html

This book is recommended for young readers wanting to read more about Hawaiian history and also the importance of names in the Hawaiian tradition.  It is especially noteworthy that the book is bilingual with translations.  This book is for children, but is one that adults of all ages will appreciate because of the family ties and historical connections in the book.