BOOKS FOR KEIKI
Fire goddess Pele comes to life on pages of new book

"Pele and the Rivers of Fire" by Michael Nordenstrom. Bess Press, $9.95, ages 4 and up.

By Jolie Jean Cotton

•

Book signing Michael Nordenstrom, author of "Pele and the Rivers of Fire," is traveling here for book signings and demonstrations on O'ahu and the Big Island. At each event, young readers and artists will be able to create their own paper and paint collages. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 11, Barnes & Noble, Kahala Mall 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 11, Waldenbooks, Kahala Mall 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Oct. 12, Hawai'i State Library 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 12, Costco, Hawai'i Kai Noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 13, Borders, Waikele

First, this just-released picture book has a futuristic binding. It's a high-tech hybrid that fuses soft with hard cover. "It's technically a paperback," publisher Benjamin Bess says, "with the added strength, durability and aesthetic appeal of a hardcover book."

And the illustrations are striking. First time children's author/illustrator Michael Nordenstrom uses acrylic and watercolor paint to create dazzling paper collages. Nordenstrom says his mix of colors and patterns is highly influenced by both nature and art history.

Nordenstrom's adaptation opens: "Atop her volcanic home, nestled in the crater of Kilauea, Pele, the goddess of volcanic fire, sleeps wrapped in a blanket of hot lava. While she is sleeping, the islands are still. The ocean is calm and the sky clear."

Pele then bursts awake in this enchanting introduction to the legend of the fire goddess. Pele's fiery rivers of lava sprawl over mountains and valleys, scorching the earth, until reaching the sea. The story recounts the legend of Pele's journey to Hawai'i. Pele travels from Kahiki (now known as Tahiti) to Kaua'i to escape her sister, Namakaokaha'i, Goddess of the Sea. Pele meets her death on the island of Maui but is reborn, more powerful than ever.

This story is really about inner strength and overcoming hardship. And while the book is geared to a 4- to 8-year-old audience, it should appeal to older readers.

Nordenstrom, an associate librarian for Salt Lake City Public Library, earned a bachelor's degree in 3-D art from Weber State University. He also earned a minor in anthropology and says he is committed to preserving mythological stories for future generations.

""To me, Pele is the most visible and important figure in Hawaiian mythology," Nordenstrom writes. "She remains visibly alive and tangible. She challenges the static principles of science."

Nordenstrom has created a Web site for the book's release with helpful information for teachers and sections just for kids. The address is www.riversoffire.com.

Author visit

Newbery Award winner Richard Peck, who this year received the National Humanities Medal from President Bush, surprised students when he dropped by the Honolulu Waldorf School (where this freelance writer works by day) in Niu Valley last month. Peck read from his published works and offered writing tips to the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders. Peck now heads to Illinois, to receive the Chicago Tribune's first Young Adult Book Prize.

Correction: Book signings with Michael Nordenstrom, author of "Pele and the Rivers of Fire," are scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at Waldenbooks at Kahala Mall and 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Costco in Hawai'i Kai. Because of an editor's error, dates of these signings were incorrect in a previous version of this story.