5 Springtime Reads to Honor Nature and Poetry

With so many special occasions to celebrate in April, we picked a few of our favorite local books from each topic area. As April showers make way for a blooming summer, we invite you to read a poem, go birdwatching, or plant a garden—all in the spirit of nourishing your soul and enriching the land.

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Still Out of Place

by Christy Passion

Nurse and poet Christy Passion’s love and compassion for humanity resonate through her words. She writes poignantly about the beauty of Hawai‘i, but also the hardness of life that many of its residents experience. From the subtle joys of picking mangoes to the genuine everyday struggles of real working-class people, this collection of poems is a heart that beats against the false notions many outsiders have about life in “paradise.”

—Lainey King, bookstore assistant

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The Kitchen of Small Hours

by Derek N. Otsuji

Both tragic and beautiful, these poems by Derek Otsuji contemplate themes of family and death. Growing up Japanese, I deeply relate to his poems about visiting the Hongwanji temples. I absolutely love how Otsuji celebrates food throughout. My favorite poem is Three Boys One Fish Two Eyes, in which I saw my own family—fighting over who gets to eat the fish eyes. Ostsuji’s work tugs at the heart, evoking the nostalgia of growing up in Hawai‘i. He weaves a profound connection for us to our immigrant ancestors with his lyrical verses.

—Lainey King, bookstore assistant

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The Salt-Wind: Ka Makani Pa‘akai

by Brandy Nalani McDougall

This collection by Brandy Nālani McDougall, Hawai‘i’s Poet Laureate, is a celebration of genealogy, ‘āina, and grief. It is an incredibly touching and intimate portrayal of Native Hawaiians and their connection to the land, the sea, and each other. She shows us that honoring our loved ones, our ancestors, and our natural environment can be a way of life. Her collection is a perfect choice for April, as we honor poetry’s place in our lives.

—Alyssa Chau, bookseller

SEE ALSO: Brandy Nālani McDougall Debuts as the New Hawai‘i State Poet Laureate at Hawai’i State Art Museum

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Go Native!

Your guide to growing Native Hawaiian and canoe plants wherever you live, work or play

by Hawai‘i Forest Initiative

Packed with information, this book is designed to help average readers who don’t have a botany background (like me). It is a step-by-step guide to choosing the best plants for the type of space you want to green. My favorite chapter covers sample landscape designs and includes bird’s-eye-view landscaping diagrams, plant icons with matching photos of suggested plants, descriptions, care notes, and even the occasional mo‘olelo. Photos show both the whole plant and close-ups of leaves and flowers. This book is the perfect recipe for greening and daydreaming, and includes a list of local plant nurseries to help you get started.

—Mariko Merrit, children’s book curator

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Hawai‘i’s Birds

by Hawai‘i Audubon Society

This compact but comprehensive guide to Hawai‘i’s flying friends is broken into sections, covering everything from seabirds and forest birds to city birds. It’s a perfect gift for birdwatchers, hikers, nature enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to learn about bird commonly seen in Hawai‘i. Complete with information about behavior, descriptions, and habitats of both native and introduced birds, this guide also provides details on the latest conservation efforts being made to protect Hawai‘i’s endangered endemic bird species.

SEE ALSO: Essential Hawai‘i Books You Should Read: The Next 134