BOOKS
Isle Pages
New releases from
Hawaii authors
"Da Kine Dictionary"
By Lee A. Tonouchi
Bess Press, $11.95
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Been a good long time since "Pidgin to Da Max" proved that Hawaii's made-up language was not only legitimate, but could generate sales. Here's a glossy, new-century update that shows pidgin is still thriving and capable of being analyzed. Tonouchi picks some whack kine phrases, and the overall mood is pretty funny. The real trick, of course, is settling on a spelling style. The production is aided immensely by Brad Goda's brilliant photos of local actors -- acktors? -- who aren't afraid to make A. It will be one of the real gimmes of the book season. Impossible for stay grumpy wen read 'em, li'dat. Oh, great, now I'm doing it too.
"The Lessons of Aloha"
By Brother Noland
Watermark, $24.95
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This handsomely produced gift book assembles nice portraits by Shuzo Uemoto and interviews by Noland on the slippery concept of "aloha" with variopus Hawaii citizens. It's all rather inspiring, in the feel-good "Chicken Soup" groove.
"Kanji Learned Through Photo-Mnemonics"
By Bruce McNair
Kanji Learning Institute, $37.33
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The title says it all. Want to learn to read and write the Japanese pictographic language? This workbook gives all 1,965 kanji used in Japanese schools, instead of the few hundred generally taught.
