Aunty Pinau's Banyan Tree

A familiar sight in Hawaii is the giant banyan tree, its huge mass supported by roots growing down from the branches to the ground below. This engaging story of one such banyan tree—Aunty Pinau's Banyan Tree—begins when the Little Wind soils a clothesline full of clean laundry. Aunty Pinau sets out to buy a "wind catcher" and, to her little nephew Jo-Jo's surprise, returns with a small banyan tree! Through the years, with Jo-Jo's faithful care the little tree grows and grows, putting out more and more roots until finally the tree forms a huge umbrella that provides welcome relief from the hot Hawaiian sun. The mynah birds make their homes in the tree, the women string their flower leis in its shade, and Mr. Matsumoto serves shaved ice to the school children and saimin to the fishermen under its branches.

Within the pages of this entertaining children's story, we meet many people, each authentically reflecting some side of Hawaii's multi-racial background. We catch the real flavor of Hawaii’s countryside and learn something of the different customs and patterns of life outside the city—things little known outside the islands.