“Okinawan Princess, Da Legend of the Hajichi Tattoos” ($18.95, Bess Press) is a children’s book told in three languages that highlights the family history of author Lee Tonouchi.
Tonouchi’s great-grandmother had traditional Okinawan hand tattoos, which indicated the family she was from. Though they were part of her culture, she was embarrassed by the markings after immigrating to Maui in the early 1900s to work on a sugar plantation.
The book, translated in Pidgin, Japanese and Okinawan, is set in the 1980s with a young girl telling her grandmother she wants to be a super model. The grandmother replies with an old tale of a beautiful Okinawan princess who was kidnapped by pirates, and gave herself tattoos to help her escape.
The morale of the story: “Beauty stay in da eye of da beholder!” said Tonouchi, 47, known as Da Pidgin Guerilla.
Tonouchi said he hopes the book can revitalize Okinawan culture in Hawaii.
“I wuz looking for Okinawan children’s picture books for my daughters, but I wuz all huhu cuz hardly get any books,” he said. “So then I said, ‘Hey, I’m one writer, I should write da book!’”
>> Brandon Mull book signing: Mull, the author of “Master of the Phantom Isle” ($18.99, Shadow Mountain), will sign copies of the book from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at BookEnds in Kailua, 600 Kailua Road. Call 261-1996.
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READING
Book signing with Lee Tonouchi, author of “Okinawan Princess, Da Legend of the Hajichi Tattoos”
When:
9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday
Where:
Kaimuki High School, 2705 Kaimuki Ave. (The signing is part of the Kaimuki High School Craft & Gift Fair)
Cost:
Free
Book Info:
734-7159, customerservice@besspress.com
