Pick Up Hoonani: Hula Warrior Written By Heather Gale Displayed As Leaflet

Hula Warrior by Heather Gale is a delightful, empowering picture book for kids based on a true story, Ho'onani is part of a big, loving family who mostly encourage her to be herself, All but her sister, that is, Her sister can't understand why Ho'onani doesn't act like a 'normal' girl, But Ho'onani doesn't feel like a 'girl', She doesn't feel like a 'boy' either, She feels somewhere inbetween. Hawai'ian actually has a word for someone who feels this way, and it was perfectly acceptable before contact with Europeans, Many indigenous cultures all over the world had or have anywhere fromgender identities, The concept is not as new and radical as opponents of the idea would have people believe, When it is announced at her school that a hula will be performed, Ho'onani decides to try out, even though it is supposed to be the boys only.
Not only does she succeed in getting a place with the troupe, she ends up the leader of it! This is a great illustration that if a person is capable of something, gender stereotypes shouldn't prevent them from being able to do it.
I like the fact that the antagonistic, doubting sister didn't stifle Ho'onani's determination and dedication, I read this with my cubs and we all enjoyed it, Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the Netgalley amp Penguin Random House/ Tundra Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Most western people are probably more familiar with the hula that has women swaying with grass skirts, But there was another hula practiced, that of the stomping and chanting, usually done by men, If you have seen Maori dances, you get the idea,

Ho'onani is the fictionalized story of a real wahini girl who wants to dance the male dance that only the kane boys dance.
She feels she is just as strong, and can do the chants just as well, if not better,




This is not so much a story about a girl wanting to be a boy, as a story about doing what you want to do no matter what gender you are.
She is the strongest, and the loudest, so why shouldn't she lead the chant,

And so she does,

Wonderful story of a strong wahine,

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review, I love books with strong female characters girls and women willing to follow their dreams, even if that means challenging the status quo, And books that make us examine our beliefs and misconceptions ones that challenge us to be better people, This book does both. And it shows that everyone deserves unconditional acceptance and respect, This is a wonderfully wellwritten and illustrated book offering a peek at Hawaiian traditions and language and a call for acceptance of the differences big and small that exist in us all.
A book that should have a place in every city, school, and personal library, Hawaiian tradition includes kanes boys to lead the hula chants, Ho'onani is not boy or girl, but in the middle, and has the big voice and confidence to do that job, This story shows how she prevails, even with her sister, who is embarrassed that her sister does not act more like a wahinea girl,

The book is based on a true story, which can be seen in a documentary film, a Place in the Middle, readily accessible online.
I found this book through my local library and got it in an ebook format, I located this book on the Rainbow Books list forand was intrigued by the summary, This book tells the story of Ho'onani Kamai who didn't see herself as either a girl or boy, so she preferred just Ho'onani, She was accepted by her mother and father, but her sister had a hard time with how she sings, plays the ukelele, and would often get in small fights with her.
Ho'onani tries out the for the school's performance of a traditional chant which requires a leader, SPOILER She ended up being the leader and although her teacher was very accepting she warned her that others may not be as accepting of a wahine girl leading the chant as that is not customary.
She did not give up and proceeded to lead the chant for her entire school and audience, To her surprise, her sister gave her a standing ovation,
This story is a fantastic short story that depicts how small changes in customary traditions can make some uneasy, however, that should not stop you from achieving your dreams and following through.
Ho'onani demonstrated her strength and bravery in the story and it can influence young readers to never give up and accept yourself for who you are.
The illustrations in this book are fantastic and truly tell the story and pair well with the text, This is a great book to read with early elementary students to demonstrate the theme of being brave and going against the grain, Additionally, it is a fantastic way to start teaching children that it is okay to be different and go against the grain of tradition and you can still be accepted.
Excellent example of honoring an ancient cultural legacy that always made space for people who are nonbinary/gender nonconforming/transgender, I love this as a childrens book that gives a rare window into a set of beliefs and cultural practices that are so incredibly common around the world, but are so rarely shown in English language picture books because of their overwhelmingly White/European slant.
An excellent and empowering book based on a true story of a Hawaiian girl who doesn't feel entirely wahine girl or kane boy, who feels like she is in the middle.
Her dream is to lead the boy's hula warrior dance and with the help of her teacher, she joins the troupe and rises to the leadership position.
The story of inclusion and acceptance is told simply and lyrically with bold illustrations, This story is about a little girl, named Hoonani, in Hawaii who identifies as being in between a boy and a girl, She refers to herself as a girl, but she wants to join the boys hula troupe at her school, After some convincing, she is allowed to join the boys and even lead them in a performance,

Hoonani was a strong girl in the story, She wanted to be a hula warrior, so she kept trying to reach her dream, She received some backlash at home, when her sister didnt approve of what Hoonani was doing, Even through these harsh comments, she still kept her unique identity,

I really enjoyed this picture book about identity,

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, "In ancient Hawaiian culture, every person had a role in society, Māhū, people who embraced both feminine and masculine traits, were valued as healers and caretakers and teachers of ancient traditions, "

Our main character Ho'onani, who is based on a real person, sees herself as neither girl nor boy, but "just Ho'onani", When she finds out there will be tryouts for the school's performance of a traditional kāne men's hula, she longs to participate, She learns to be confident in her identity and earns the respect of her peers, overcoming doubts from her family, the other boys on the team, and even her own selfdoubt.
The wording and illustrations used to describe the hula dance is powerful, evoking imagery of volcanoes, tidal waves, and warriors standing "strong, sure, and steady".
I am always excited for more nonbinary representation, especially one that makes a point to point out that māhū and other identities have long existed in the precolonial world, outside of the gender binary.
Even if young readers may not understand the nuance around this subject, the story and themes of acceptance and selfidentity are easy for children to understand, and it leaves room for further discussion and learning.


ed by: Laura Mao, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley

Ho'onani Hula Warrior is a picture book retelling of a documentary film about a young Hawaiian who feels that girl or boy as a designation doesn't always fit for everyone.
There is a middle space and that is where Ho'onani is most comfortable, Ho'onani has people who support this identification and a space is held for people in this middle place in the Hawaiian culture at least there had been until first contact with non indigenous people.
There are people who are trying to make sure this is again something that is honored and accepted, Because both the picture book and the documentary are created by outsiders, I was worried, but for the most part, it seems to keep Ho'onani's perspective centered.
It would be a powerful way to enter into discussion with people about what it means to be nonbinary,

Recommendation: Get it and have some excellent discussion, Also, the movie is great,.stars
A young girl dreams of taking part in the custom of hula despite the announcement that high school boys will perform it, The desire, perseverance, and determination of Ho'onani is shown, including her confrontation with her sister who questions her participation and a warning from the teacher that some may be opposed to a girl leading the hula.
Despite these conversations, Ho'onani knows herself and what she can do, and is not deterred,

Based on a true story and inspired by a documentary, the book seems to skip some info though, After the teacher announces the hula will be done by high school boys, Ho'onani announces at family dinner that her teacher thinks she should try out.
Was this true or only her wish Why was she allowed as a younger student She mentions three tests, but we only see one before she says she passed.


Lastly, a pronunciation guide would have been helpful, I have vague idea of how to say some Hawaiian words, but not enough to comfortably read this aloud, Ho'onani doesn't feel entirely wahine girl or kane boy, but somewhere in the middle, When her community announces that they are going to put on a traditional Hawaiian hula chant for kane, she feels drawn to audition, even though the chanters are traditionally boys.
This is an empowering story bringing much needed representation to the page, Ho'onani is such a good chanter that she's chosen to lead the group, When her teachers warns her that some people might object to a wahine leading a group of kane, Ho'onani decides to do the show anyway.
With her parents' support and her older sister's eventual coming around to it, this is a supportive story that features a nonbinary child in the starring role.


Hand to fans of Julian is a Mermaid and Not Quite Snow White, Ho'onani feels neither completely like a kane, a boy, nor a wahine, a girl, She is somewhere in the middle, but this identity is not always accepted, When she auditions and is selected to lead the school's hula warrior performance, Ho'onani worries about rejection from her sister Kana most of all, but through her own fortitude and belief in her self, Ho'onani succeeds and is celebrated.
A really beautiful look at Hawai'ian culture, diversity, and appreciation of our differences,

Themes: Gender diversity/expression Indigenous culture Dance
Age range:An empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boysonly hula troupe at her school.


Ho'onani feels inbetween, She doesn't see herself as wahine girl OR kane boy, She's happy to be in the middle, But not everyone sees it that way,

When Ho'onani finds out that there will be a school performance of a traditional kane hula chant, she wants to be part of it.
But can a girl really lead the allmale troupe Ho'onani has to try, . .

Based on a true story, Ho'onani: Hula Warrior is a celebration of Hawaiian culture and an empowering story of a girl who learns to lead and learns to accept who she really isand in doing so, gains the respect of all those around her.


Ho'onani's story first appeared in the documentary A Place in the Middle by filmmakers Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, In Hawaiian culture you can be feminine, masculine, or both, This story is about Hoonani who finds her place in the middle as a Hula Warrior, This story is based on true events that can be

seen in the documentary A Place in the Middle, This is a nice true life tale of someone finding themselves, a schools acceptance, and a look at the family involved, Strong, determined and unique that's Ho'onani! She know what she wants, embraces the different and values her culture and history, A wonderful story!
Netgalley This is a simple narrative based on a true story about Ho'onani and her quest to perform in the boys' hula troupe.


I like how the issue of gender is addressed here, Ho'onani really wants to be part of the hula troupe, But it's traditionally only for boys, There's an audition, and she tries out and gets in, As she tells her sister, she feels more male than female, So why shouldn't she be part of the boys' troupe What I really like is that Ho'onani doesn't really care about the traditional gender rules here she simply wants to dance in the troupe because it's something she enjoys.
Even after her teacher takes her aside and tells her that some parents might not want a girl leading their boys in the hula, she sticks to her convictions.
Basically, if they don't like it, that's their problem,

The pictures here aren't really in a style that I like, but they're adequate enough to do the job,

This book is apparently based on a documentary, I wouldn't mind having a look at that, since the picture book format has certain limitations,

Overall, this is a fairly solid nonfiction picture book for kids that talks about a cultural practice that's probably unfamiliar to most people outside of Hawaii.
For those interested in books about other cultures, it's worth taking a look,

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books NY for providing a digital ARC, Read for Book Riot'sRead Harder Challenge, Category: Read a picture book with a human main character from a marginalized community

I feel like it's silly to say that this picture book didn't include enough stuffI get that it is a short story for kids.
I guess I was looking for more growth from Ho'onani and her community, Besides Ho'onani's sister being a jerk, she didn't really face a lot of opposition for wanting to break out of traditional gender roles, I also get that a children's book with multiple enemies might be overkill, . . Either way I didn't feel like this was welldeveloped but it was very cute, .