From the Mountains to the Sea: Early Hawaiian Life

Descriptions of life, activities, and the natural environment in the Hawaiian Islands before Western contact. Appropriate for use by students in the elementary school grades yet informative for older students and adults.

"This terrific educational resource, a local award-winner describes life in Hawaii before Captain Cook's arrival. The book extensively covers all aspects of Hawaiian life, beginning with the discovery of the Islands. Included are explanations of land division, the people, their crafts and work, religion, music, storytelling, and games. Williams, who has written titles for Kamehameha Schools Press and the University of Hawaii Press, shows how ingenious the Hawaiians were in developing such a rich culture with only the natural resources available to them.

Simple, concisely written passages give fascinating insight into the intuitive nature of early Hawaiians. For example, Williams writes, "Children's ages were figured not by birth date but rather by their physical abilities. Around two years of age a child might be expected to carry a small gourd of water, around five or six years a child might be expected to carry two coconuts. By about ten years of age many children might be carrying a still smaller child on their backs." - Jolie Cotton, The Honolulu Advertiser

"Written and illustrated with clarity and accuracy, From the Mountains to the Sea is an engaging introduction to the original Hawaiian civilization for young readers." - Herb Kawainui Kane