When I Am Quiet on Maui

“This is the perfect Maui book for children of all ages. As a former Upcountry Maui bookseller, this book was my top recommendation and my top seller. The prose and artwork give a wonderful authentic picture of our island home.”

~Shay C.H. from Maui 


The Tiki Tales book series, created, written and illustrated by Judi Riley, introduces keiki to rare and endangered Hawaiian animals. Riley’s popular bedtime series is not just for bedtime, and can be found in elementary and preschool classrooms to teach about Hawaiian culture, language and sense of place. Her series are also frequently (as in all of the time) selected for celebrity, Pro & VIP gift baskets, including the Hawai'i State Society's Inaugural Ball gift basket for President Obama, the Mercedes Golf Tournament, and the Maui Film Festival. Maui's mayor selected When I am Quiet on Maui for the island's time capsule that will be opened in 100 years. You'll have to ask her great great great grandchildren what she inscribed in the book and what messages she hid in the illustrations. 


When I am Quiet on Maui begins by asking, “When you are quiet what do you hear?” then takes you on a tour of the island. Catch the sunrise on Maui's dormant volcano, snorkel on the west side, stretch out in an upcountry pasture and listen to the rain in Ha'iku (Hah-ee-koo). Meet a curious horse, a cozy nene (nay-nay), a sleepy jackson chameleon and a pot-belly pig with perfectly pink lips. Footnotes and a glossary make it easy to reference definitions, as well as master pronunciation. Don’t forget to search for words carefully hidden in Riley's vibrant illustrations. 


When I am Quiet on Maui was first published in 2002 and is now in its 4th printing. It’s the first in a series of bedtime stories that celebrate each of the Hawaiian islands. Judi is currently working on her next book series: "The Original MerNui: A Field Study Journal."

“I love, love, LOVE every page!! Such a wonderful imaginative gift to the world!” - Shannon Wianecki.

Imagine falling into the sea and landing in an underwater world where all of the animals have mertails. That’s exactly what happened to Merologist Judi Riley and fortunately she never travels far without her field journal. Back from MerKingdom, she has assembled the world’s most extensive collection of exquisitely illustrated MerNui in their natural habitat accompanied by an absolute smorgasbord of MerKingdom artifacts, observations and curiosities in a scrapbook style field journal. Part One introduces you to the first six MerNui. Discover how the Merthern Lights are made, what MerPiggy (a pig with a mertail) eats besides posh pies, and why MerFoxy (a fox with a mertail) is forever stealing your keys.


Maui Writer, Illustrator, Windsurfer, Merologist, Artist, and Dreamer, Judi Riley loves sharing her stories. Thank you for helping her artist dreams take flight. 


Take the splash, and see you in MerKingdom soon.


You can find Judi Riley:

on Instagram @TikiTales

Visit: www.TikiTales.com