KEIKI BOOKSHELF

A lesson in conservation

"Uncle’s Magic Thrownet," by Todd Yamashita (BeachHouse Publishing, $12.95) provides a lesson in conservation. In a tale inspired by the story of Molokai’s Mervin Dudoit, a boy learns about taking only what he needs.

Dudoit, a commercial fisherman, was forced to question his motives when a young lad asked him why he caught so many fish. Dudoit’s fishing boat is now parked and he oversees the rehabilitation of ancient Hawaiian fishponds and raises fish for the community to eat.

In the storybook, Uncle’s net has a big hole that lets fish escape, so when the net is pulled from the ocean, there’s just enough catch for his dinner. A boy wonders why the net is not repaired and Uncle’s response is, "The fish we can’t eat belong back in the sea where they’ll stay, and they’ll play, until we have need."

Vivid illustrations are provided by Jamie Meckel Tablason.

Tiny opihi to the rescue

Juliet S. Kono’s tale, "The Bravest Opihi: How Two of Hawai‘i’s Smallest Sea Creatures Saved the Day" (BeachHouse Publishing, $12.95) is proof that great things can come in small packages. When Ikaika is captured by a giant eel, his sister Nani turns to the sea creatures for help. She encounters a shark, sea turtle and a small school of flying fish, but none of the critters is brave enough to help Nani save her brother.

Nani finds assistance from the most unlikely creatures: two small opihi.

Colorful illustrations by Dennis Fuji­take complement the story. The book was originally published in 2005 and has been re-released in a smaller format.

A feline adventure tale

"The Lucky Charm Cats" (self-published, $14.95), by Marilyn Marie Cariaga, tells the tale of three cats — Hapa Boy, Duke and Kiko — who set off on an adventure to spread the aloha spirit.

On their good-will mission, Kiko shares hula and stories, Duke shows his surfing skill and Hapa Boy sings. Yoshie Kasano’s illustrations bring these adorable characters to life.