Illustrated children's book cover titled “Kaiona Guides the Lost,” featuring a lush tropical forest, diverse children, a colorful bird, and credits to Gabrielle Ahulii and Jing Jing Tsong.

Kaiona Guides the Lost

written by Gabrielle Ahuli‘i, illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong

The seventh title in the Hawaiian Legends for Little Ones series, Kaiona Guides the Lost introduces kids ages 0-4 to one of Hawai‘i’s lesser-known deities, Kaiona of the Wai‘anae Mountains.

In simple, poetic language, this story gives small kids a taste of Hawai‘i’s rich history of storytelling.

Kaiona is a goddess who lives on the peak of Ka‘ala, the tallest mountain on O‘ahu. Along with her companions, the native birds of the forest and shore, she watches over travelers and ensures that they make their way home safely.

​5 x 6 inches
16 pages
$8.95
ISBN 978-1-949000-32-0

Blue graphic with circular white text reading “HAWAII FOR LITTLE ONES,” decorated with yellow flowers.
Order
Hawai‘i Public Radio Interview with Author
  • Illustrated tropical island with ocean waves, a sunny mountain landscape, trees, a waterfall, and seaside village huts; story text describes goddess Kaiona.
  • Illustrated Hawaiian scene of Kaiona sitting among ʻōhai trees with ʻiwa, ʻōʻō, and ʻapapane birds.
  • Illustrated woman with flowing dark hair in a yellow dress walking through a leafy landscape under a rainbow; text describes Kaiona and the sun.

Other titles in the Hawaiian Legends for Little Ones series

Blue graphic with circular white text reading “HAWAII FOR LITTLE ONES,” decorated with yellow flowers.
  • Children’s book cover for “Māui Hooks the Islands,” featuring ocean waves, a fishing hook, and Māui artwork.
  • Children’s book cover for “HiʻIaka Battles the Wind,” featuring a stylized Hawaiian forest scene and a girl surrounded by tropical foliage; written by Gabrielle Ahuliʻi and illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Kaiona children’s book cover, “Guides the Lost,” featuring a colorful Hawaiian forest, birds, and illustrated people.
  • Colorful children's book cover titled "Maui Slows the Sun," written by Gabrielle Ahuli'i and illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Children’s book cover for "Hina" featuring a smiling blue moon over a tropical island, with the title and author Gabrielle Ahulii.
  • Children’s book cover for “Naupaka,” featuring two figures beside a blue lagoon surrounded by tropical foliage and flowers; written by Gabrielle Ahuliʻi and illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Children’s book cover featuring a stylized orange-and-white pelican with a black-and-white bird, titled “PELE FINDS A HOME,” from the Hawaii for Little Ones Legends series.
  • Children's picture book cover for “Lea: Goddess of Canoe Builders,” showing a child in a canoe, a flying bird, and colorful ocean-inspired artwork.