Enchanting Creatures of Hawaiʻi Island takes you and your family on a journey—through hand-drawn coloring pages, fun ecological facts, and whimsical rhymes—meeting native Hawaiian creatures and plants from the island’s volcanic slopes down to the sea. Hawaiʻi Island, aka “the Big Island,” is not only home to active volcanoes, but also to delightful forest bird species found nowhere else on earth—including the ʻōmaʻo, ʻākiapōlāʻau, Hawaiʻi ʻakepa, Hawaiʻi ʻelepaio, and ʻalawī. Being the biggest and youngest (and still forming) island of the Hawaiian Island chain, Hawaiʻi Island still has substantial tracts of forest where threatened species once common on all the islands are managing to persist in large enough numbers to actually be seen—including the iconic ʻiʻiwi bird and, ʻio, the Hawaiian hawk. Featured are these unique forest birds, as well as the beloved nēnē goose, giant Hawaiian dragonfly, Hawaiian bat, green sea turtle, dolphins, and many other creatures native to all the Hawaiian Islands.
This coloring book is a must-have for families and educational groups planning a visit to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park interested in learning about some of the island’s unique native species. Remember your coloring pencils and crayons! May coloring these native Hawaiian forest and sea creatures and speaking their rhymes truly lead to recognizing and meeting more of them!
About the Author
Born on the island of Oʻahu, Erzsi Palko, MSc., actively seeks out a strong, felt connection with nature—through adventures meeting new species, time beneath ancient trees, the love of her boxer-hound, Ohia, endless hours swimming around visiting with sea creatures, collaboration with microbes in the garden, work with native plant reforestation projects, and studies in plant and soil science, ethnobotany, and native Hawaiian plants.
Besides being raised in a creative household—her father an inventor and her mother a calligrapher and graphic designer—she had the opportunity to study dance with a teacher who taught not only choreography, but how to channel different kinds of energy when portraying a character on stage. With such direction, fairy tale dance productions really came to life—tree spirits really did speak, birds really were helpful messengers, and good really did triumph over deceit. As a young person, she sensed more truth in mythological storytelling than in everyday life. Through years of searching, she came to know that we actually do live in a world where creation is always speaking with us—we have just been born into a time where aspects of society may sometimes foil our ability to fully perceive and listen. Beautiful stories can remind us of the possibility of feeling that connection.
Her art—writing and directing dance and circus theater productions, painting, and illustration—is inspired by weaving quiet, wondrous moments observing nature with stories that affirm the exquisite harmony streaming through the web of life.