
Book and Poster Information:
HAWAIIAN LEGENDS OF THE GUARDIAN SPIRITS
Retold and Illuminated by Caren Loebel-Fried
Foreword by Nona Beamer
University of Hawai'i Press, 2002
128 pages, 60 illustrations, 20 in color $18.95, Cloth HAWAIIAN
LEGENDS OF THE GUARDIAN SPIRITS POSTER
Size - 22" x 28", color
$7.95

University
of Hawai'i Press:
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toll free: 1-888-UHPRESS
Web: www.uhpress.hawaii.edu
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HAWAIIAN LEGENDS OF THE GUARDIAN SPIRITS
Retold and Illuminated by Caren Loebel-Fried
Foreword by Nona Beamer
Ancient Hawaiians lived in a world where all of nature was alive with
the spirits of their ancestors. These 'aumakua have lived on through the
ages as family guardians and take on many natural forms, thus linking
many Hawaiians to the animals, plants, and natural phenomena of their
island home.
Hawaiian
Legends of the Guardian Spirits is told in words and pictures by award-winning
artist Caren Loebel-Fried. The ancient legends are brought to life in
sixty beautiful block prints, many vibrantly colored, and are narrated
in a lively "read-aloud" style, just as storytellers of old
may have told them hundreds of years ago. Notes are included, reflecting
the careful and extensive research done for this volume.
"Caren
Loebel-Fried's writing is fresh and vivid, her art strong and alive...
and I found her research to be outstanding. Hawaiian Legends of the Guardian
Spirits will enrich the hearts and minds of readers. The strength of Caren's
retelling comes from a very honest wellspring of love for her work on
behalf of Hawai'i and its people."
- From the Foreword by Nona Beamer
Click
here to read a legend!
Click
here to view a page spread!
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REVIEWS:
"Ancient
Hawaiians lived in a world inhabited by the spirits of gods and ancestors
who moved in and out of the myriad forms of the natural world. At times
of crisis or creation these guardian spirits appeared in dreams or waking
life to guide, protect, or right injustice. Five of these guardians--shark,
plover, breadfruit tree, owl, and gourd--make vivid appearances in this
jewel-like book.... In retelling these tales, Loebel-Fried draws on several
versions of each, found in published sources and ethnographic notes in
the Bishop Museum Archives in Honolulu. The bibliography, citing over
eighty works, attests to meticulous research. The content of the stories,
the striking illustrations, and the clear and simple language make this
book appealing for the young as well as for adults--and a real find for
storytellers."
-Parabola
Magazine, Summer 2004, by Noemie Maxwell
"(Caren Loebel-Fried) has done an enormous amount of research and
has tried to make sure that the stories are as Hawaiian-like as possible.
Her book is more than a collection of mythical, fantastical stories of
breadfruit or plovers, sharks or owls. Her book is a lens for viewing
the world as a Hawaiian would view it, for infused in each story is the
notion of 'aumakua, or guardian spirit. Caren Loebel-Fried is also the
illuminator of her own words. Her hand-colored block prints help tell
the story and provide stunning decorative elements to the page. Her work
is bold and evocative."
- The Honolulu Advertiser, May 2003
"The book evolved from an art exhibit at Volcano Art Center,
which led Loebel-Fried to a study of 'aumakua - 'The intimate bond between
people and nature.' The stories link Hawaiians directly to nature. Notes
are included that put the legends into context both historically and culturally.
The stories are definitely for those who want to learn more about the
legends or just revisit them."
- The Honolulu Star Bulletin, March 2003
"Author,
artist, and illustrator Caren Loebel-Fried of Oradell goes about as far
from home as possible in her beautiful new volume 'Hawaiian Legends of
the Guardian Spirits.' This book is a modern retelling of several centuries-old
legends, and the more than 60 block prints that accompany each tale are
stunning. Loebel-Fried has done a great job bringing these stories to
life."
- The Bergen Record, February 2003
"Volcano artist Loebel-Fried, who both "retells"
these tales and created the way-cool block prints that illustrate this
handsome book, delves into the fascinating legends of Hawaiian 'aumakua,
or creatures who watch over us."
- The Honolulu Star Bulletin, November 2002
"Hawaiian Legends of the Guardian Spirits" is unique
indeed as it retells legends in an entirely new way. Perhaps most noteworthy
of all are the 60 woodcuts, some in color, that are spread throughout
the book. This work deserves the attention of Hawaiian collectors who
savor the spiritual aspects of life in the islands and the role it still
plays in the lives of many."
- The Molokai Dispatch, November 2002
"Caren
Loebel-Fried is an artist and writer whose show at the Volcano Art Center
in 2000 has now been turned into a book
The well-made volume consists
of nine illustrated retellings of Hawaiian mo'olelo (legends) about protective
gods, divided into five chapters, one for each of them. Her medium is
block prints, very stylized, clean and appealing, and the stories are
told in a very readable
style."
- The Honolulu Advertiser, December 2002
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