“Lea: Goddess of Canoe Builders” children's book cover featuring an illustrated canoe builder, flying bird, ocean waves, and yellow sunburst background.

Lea Goddess of Canoe Builders

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

The eighth title in the Hawaiian Legends for Little Ones series, Lea Goddess of Canoe Builders introduces kids ages 0-4 to one of Hawai‘i’s lesser-known deities, Lea.

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

Lea, the goddess of canoe builders, lives in the forest but will often fly over the shore, keeping an eye on the many canoes she has helped carvers create. As an ‘elepaio bird, she guides carvers to the greatest trees in the forest and makes sure their wa‘a are steady and strong.

​5 x 6 inches
16 pages
$8.95
ISBN 978-1-949000-33-7

Blue graphic with circular white text reading “Hawai‘i for Little Ones,” decorated with yellow flowers.
Order
Hawai‘i Public Radio Interview with Author
  • Illustrated goddess Lea surrounded by colorful birds and lush forest foliage, with story text about her island home
  • Illustrated brown bird flying over lush Hawaiian landscape, ocean, islands, and koa trees.
  • Illustrated storybook scene of a canoe carver beneath a towering koа tree, with text describing his dream of carving a canoe from the tree.

Other titles in the Hawaiian Legends for Little Ones series

Blue graphic with circular light-blue text reading “A WAY FOR LITTLE ONES,” surrounded by yellow flowers and forming the word “FRIENDS.”
  • Children’s book cover for “Māui Hooks the Islands,” featuring a stylized ocean scene, fishing hook, and silhouetted Māui figure.
  • Children’s book cover for “Hi‘iāka Battles the Wind,” featuring a Hawaiian-inspired illustrated character amid lush tropical foliage; written by Gabrielle Ahuli‘i and illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Children’s book cover for “Kaiona Guides the Lost,” featuring a tropical forest, diverse children, a colorful bird, and credits to Gabrielle Ahuli’i and Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Colorful children's book cover titled “Maui Slows the Sun,” written by Gabrielle Ahuliʻi and illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Children’s book cover for “Hina,” featuring a smiling blue moon over a stylized island landscape, with text by Gabrielle Ahuliʻi and illustrations by Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Children’s book cover for “Naupaka,” featuring two children beside a blue Hawaiian lagoon surrounded by tropical foliage and flowers; written by Gabrielle Ahulii and illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong.
  • Children's book cover showing an illustrated orange-and-white dog beside a black-and-white dog, titled “Pele Finds a Home.”
  • Children’s book cover for "Lea: Goddess of Canoe Builders," featuring a child in a canoe, a flying bird, colorful ocean waves, and the Hawaiian for Little Ones logo.