ISLE PAGES
New releases by Hawaii authors

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Reviewed by Burl Burlingame
bburlingame@starbulletin.com

"Sea Turtles -- An Ecological Guide" by David Gulko and Karen Eckert (Mutual, $18.95)

OK, you've stuck honu stickers all over your car but what do you really know about our sleepy-eyed sea reptiles? Practically everything you need is here, in clear language and colorful pictures and graphics. There's some heavy lifting cleverly disguised in here as well -- food cycles, pelagic threats, the disorientations created by artificial lighting, thermoregulation (tough when you're cold-blooded!) and the book doesn't shy away from man's hand in altering the environment.

"Why Early A.A. Succeeded -- The Good Book in Alcoholics Anonymous Yesterday and Today" by Dick B. (PRP, $17.95) Self-help books are a growth industry in publishing these days, but sometimes it's useful to be reminded that there's no shame in relying on friends and religion as well. This Maui title focuses on the religious aspects of A.A.'s program and draws parallels to the concept of fellowship as a healing force. Needs a cooler cover, however.

"The Storm Dog of the Ko'olaus -- 'O Ka 'Ilio Makani Pahili O Ke Ko'olau" by Auntie U'i Goldsberry, translated by David Del Rocco, illustrations by Roy Chang" (Beachhouse, $12.95) Sometimes a gem works its way to the top of the stack. Beachhouse is making a name for itself with high-quality books for kids that also have something to say for adults. "Storm Dog" captures the Kahana Bay legend of storm-crossed lovers Hi'iaka and Kauhi as they seek shelter during a hurricane so terrible that it literally reshapes the landscape -- the "storm dog" that gnaws the ridges in the valleys. Goldsberry takes some adult chances with narrative structure and isn't afraid of giving kids a shiver or two, or of suggesting that ancient Hawaiians could sometimes be victims of a harsh environment instead of the usual muzzy visions of a natural paradise. Chang's illustrations are sketchy and colorful, suitable given the wild, unfettered nature of the plot. The book has a bittersweet ending that's far more romantic than your standard-issue happily-ever-after snoozefest.

"Stupid Sushi Bar Tales" by Ron Sambrano (1336 Kahoma, price unknown) Maui writer Sambrano has a way with spinning local-kine tales, and this is one of several labor-of-love booklets he's produced. Though it helps to look beyond the crude graphics and production -- he really can tell a story! -- you wish he'd instead become a stand-up comic or begin an online blog or dive into a more suitable medium.

"Pipe Dreams -- A Surfer's Journey" by Kelly Slater with Jason Borte (Regan, $13.95) Surfing is champion Slater's life -- his band is called The Surfers! -- and he was one of the best non-Hawaii surfers in history. Surfing also was an escape from drama in the Slater household, as he recounts in this slow-moving and way-too-guarded memoir.

"Daniel's Views -- Inspirations of a Young Hiker" compiled by his family (Mutual, $13.95) Daniel Levey, 19, loved hiking in the vertical wildness of Oahu's peaks, and fell to his death on one of the trails. Levey was also a seeker of the inexpressible, and attempted to capture the grandness of his journeys in epigrams and snapshots. He died before he became good at either, but the collection here suggests that he could have, given time and reflection.

"Ganbare! -- An Example of Japanese Spirit" by Patsy Sumie Saiki (Mutual, $15.95) Along with "Sachie," Mutual is bringing back into print Saiki's seminal works on the nature of the Japanese-American experience. Although a bit precious at times, they ought to be assigned reading for anyone interested in what it's like to grow up in two cultures at the same time.

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