Pele is sleeping, the Hawaiian Islands are quiet, but when the volcano goddess awakens, the earth roars and lava explodes from the mountain.

This story recounts how Pele, journeyed from Tahiti to the Hawaiian Islands, accompanied by her shark brother and followed by her sea-goddess sister, Namakaikahai. The sisters battled until Pele's death, but her spirit still inhabits Hawaiian volcanoes. This retelling is so slight; it reads more like an abstract than a story. No source is cited, but a graceful version of this legend can be found in Vivian Thompson's Hawaiian Myths of Earth, Sea and Sky (1966).

The strength of this work lies with the dramatic collage, acrylic, and watercolor art, dominated by bold oranges and blues.

Utahn Brings Hawaiian Legend to Life With Colorful 'Pele'

Michael Nordenstrom, Author and illustrator Michael Nordenstrom spent seven years getting "Pele and the Rivers of Fire" published and even longer to create it.
Fair-skinned and bald, Michael Nordenstrom doesn't look Hawaiian, maybe because he isn't. In fact, he never had been to Hawaii before his publisher flew him out for a tour this month to promote his new children's book based on a Hawaiian myth.
But after extensive research and a long-standing affinity for Polynesian culture, Nordenstrom, author of Pele and the Rivers of Fire, felt at home as soon as he set foot on the island.

"We've had great feedback from native Hawaiians," Nordenstrom said, noting that he especially appreciates positive feedback since the Hawaiian civilization often has been misrepresented in American popular culture.

As a lifelong Utah resident who grew up in Sunset, graduated from Weber State University and now works as a volunteer coordinator at the Salt Lake City Public Library, Nordenstrom may seem an unlikely candidate to become a prime teller of Polynesian tales. But the idea to write a kids' book about the goddess Pele turned out to be a natural fit.

That's especially true of the book's illustrations, which Nordenstrom created using paper and paint collages. Nordenstrom first paints the paper himself, then draws the illustration on tracing paper and cuts the paper according to the drawing. The colors fit together like pieces of a puzzle, often on top of one another for a three-dimensional effect. He incorporated bright colors and bold images to fit the grandeur of the tale.

Kids will like the bright pictures but might also get a kick out of hearing their parents try to pronounce words like Namakaokaha'i. Fortunately, a dictionary/pronunciation guide is included.

Pele, whose spirit lives in a volcano and creates lava flows, is a well-known figure in Hawaiian legend. "I wanted it to be accurate, especially since Pele has such a devoted following," Nordenstrom said.

Children's books help kids learn about other cultures and their own past, but many myths have never been brought to life. Nordenstrom didn't want those stories to be lost before they disappeared from the cultures that created them. He also found few female mythological heroes in children's books.

It took Nordenstrom seven years to get his first book published and even longer to create it. He studied art and anthropology in college, but knew he wanted to write children's books even before that.

"My love for collage as a medium for children's books really came about when I was in first grade and saw Leo Lionni's books," he said, referring to the illustrator of four Caldecott honor books, who used torn-paper collages. "I really knew since then that I wanted to be a children's book artist."

His Hawaii-based publisher gets about 80 Pele-related submissions a year, but Nordenstrom's was the first the firm liked enough to publish. Still, there were hold-ups in production, and it was another several years before he finally got to see the finished product.

He hopes anyone wanting to publish a book will learn from his experience and persist until it happens. "It's not a job for those who like instant gratification," he said, laughing. Go With the Flow!

One of the grandest of all of Hawaiian sagas is the story of Pele's journey across the islands in search of a home. As the story goes, she originally settled on Kaua'i, but was flooded out there by her sister Namakaokaha'i. She kept moving across the island chain to the east, but was flooded out on each new island where she stopped until she came to Hawai'i itself (the Big Island). Here she still thrives today after having settled into a volcano so large and deep that her sister cannot flood her out. (The modern ending to her story is that she is building a new home for herself, Lo'ihi, off of the southern coast of our island. She'll have it completed in about 10,000 years. Drat ÷ guess we'll miss the "housewarming" party!)

Nordenstrom's book is a wonderful telling of this story for children, but it's actually equally appealing for adults too. The artwork is fascinating, brilliantly colored and really unique because it's all collage! The illustrations are a mix of acrylic and watercolor paints which were applied to large sheets of paper. Then the artist / author cut out the pieces and arranged them like a puzzle to form each illustration. The results are very striking. I'd love to buy 2 copies of this book, cut out all of the illustrations, frame them and run them around the walls of a room to tell Pele's story. Oh, I almost forgot ÷ the writing is excellent too!

For living such a long and turbulent life, Madam Pele sure looks fresh here.

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 calms and the sky is clear."
Pele then bursts awake in the 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 Hawaii. Pele travels from Kahiki (known as Tahiti) to Kauai to escape her sister, Namakaokahai, 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.

TheHonoluluAdvertiser.com

 

OCTOBER 02, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PELE: AWARD NOMINEE

We are delighted to announce that Pele and the Rivers of Fire is now an official Utah Children's Book Award nominee. To learn more please go to the Children's Literature Association of Utah website.

http://www.clau.org/

Color-rich paint and paper collages and playful, easy-to-read text bring the story of Pele to life for children in Pele and the Rivers of Fire by Michael Nordenstrom. Pele and the Rivers of Fire introduces Hawai‘i’s beloved volcano goddess and her siblings to young readers in an inspiring tale about personal strength and overcoming adversity.
Visit the author’s website to learn more at: www.RiversofFire.com

From October 9-16, author Michael Nordenstrom will do signings and demonstrations on O‘ahu and the Big Island. Creative stations will be set up at the signings so young readers and artists can create their own paper and paint collages.
Visit the author’s website to learn more at: www.RiversofFire.com

Events are scheduled at the following venues:

• October 11th from 1:00-2:30pm @ Barnes & Noble Kahala Mall
  
• October 12th from 11:00-12:00pm @ Hawaii State Library
  
• October 12th from 2:00-4:00pm @ Costco Hawaii Kai
  
• October 13th from 12:00-1:00pm @ Borders Waikele
  
• October 14th from 11:00-1:00pm @ The Volcano Art Gallery @ Hawaii Volcano’s National Park
  
• October 14th from 3:00-5:00pm @ Borders Hilo

If you are writing a review of PELE and The Rives of Fire, we invite you to get in touch with the author, Michael Nordenstrom, or his manager Michelle Beaver.

You can also get in touch with the publisher, The Bess Press, at: info@besspress.com

We invite you to send us a copy of your review to print on this page, or if the review is on line, we would be happy to link to it directly.

Thanks!