Home > What’s New
What’s New
at Basically Books
The 48th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival, 2011DVD, Produced by Kamehameha PublishingExperience the grace and grandeur of the 2011 Merrie Monarch Festival with this commemorative DVD set. From the rich cultural traditions of the hula kahiko to the vibrant artistry of the hula 'auana, this collection captures the world's most prestigious hula competition on 4 DVDs.
$50.00
Moon MangoesBy Lindy Shapiro
Illustrated by Kathleen PetersonThe moon is full and shining on a mango tree heavy with fruit. Beneath its leaves sits a little blue house, and beneath its eaves, sits little Anuenue and her mama. On magical Hawaiian nights such as this, thoughts take flight. Gazing at the mango tree, Anu asks her mama: "What if I ate up all those mangoes one by one, and I got so full of them that I turned into a mango tree?" Capturing the spirit of every child's imagination and combined yearning for and fear of independence, Moon Mangoes explores the "what if" back–and–forth exchange between child and parent, and captures that magical before–bedtime hour when anything is possible and love is constant.
$14.95
Aloha Tofu Cookbook: Serving Hawaii for 60 YearsBy Peko Nishimura and Misa UyeharaSixty years ago, Kamesaburo and Tsuruko Nishimura took over a friend's tofu factory. The small shop on Dillingham Boulevard became Aloha Tofu, which over half a century later continues to provide Hawaii with superior tofu. The Aloha Tofu Cookbook will prove to you that tofu can be so much more than the white cubes floating in miso soup; it can be tossed in a hearty salad, stuffed with ginger and pork, or blended and frozen to make ice cream. In addition to the sixty recipes, which are presented in English and Japanese and accompanied by mouth–watering color photos, there are instructions for draining excess water from tofu, making dashi, and ensuring that cooking oil is the right temperature for deep–frying. Rest assured: no matter how you serve this healthy and versatile protein, your family and friends will be asking for seconds.
$16.95
What's So Hot About Volcanoes?By Wendell A. Duffield
Illustrated by Bronze BlackWarm up with a copy of What's So Hot About Volcanoes?, a new book by volcanologist Wendell Duffield. Lively discussions introduce readers of all ages to the creative power of volcanoes, explaining the reasons behind why they form, what they look like, and when they explode. Think of a volcano as a safety valve on a pressure cooker, author Wendell Duffield tells readers. The inside of the Earth reaches a blistering 9,000 to 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and volcanoes simply release some of that pent–up heat from time to time. Some volcanoes erupt so gently that observers can stand nearby while others erupt so violently that they destroy themselves, as well as everything within reach of their hot gases, lava, and ash. Sections of this book explore the challenges of predicting eruptions, what happens when magma mixes with water, and how people are using volcanic heat for energy. An appendix lists all of the volcanoes in the United States that are still young enough to look like volcanoes.
$16.00
Musical Images of HawaiiBy Chikao Toriyama, Kazue Kurebayashi, Edwin Mahiai Beamer, and othersReintroduced at a new, lower price, Musical Images of Hawaii is the complementary book to the Mele Hula CD series. This coffee table book portrays unique photographic interpretations of fifty of the most beloved Hawaiian songs. Each beautifully rendered image and the accompanying Hawaiian lyrics (translated into both English and Japanese) transport the reader into the world of the songwriter, providing a glimpse into the life, beauty, romance, and nature that inspired the music.
$18.95
Down at the BeachBy Jamie MeckelJust like in the popular song "Wheels on the Bus," here in Hawaii the wheels on the bike go round and round. And instead of all through the town, it's down at the beach where kids can read and sing along to the flop, flop, flop of slippers on the sand, and the splash, splash, splash of keiki in the water. This fun interactive book is sure to become an instant classic with the toddler set!
$7.95
The Ready Mapbook of Kauai, 6th EditionOdyssey PublishingRevised and updated, including the island of Niihau.
$10.95
People and Cultures of Hawaii: The Evolution of Culture and EthnicityEdited by John F. McDermott and Naleen Naupaka AndradeThis is a significant update to the highly influential text The People and Cultures of Hawaii. Since its initial publication in 1980, the immigrant groups it discussed in depth have matured, and new ones have been added to the mix. The present work tracks the course of these changes over the past twenty years, constructing a historical understanding of each group as it evolved from race to ethnicity to culture.
$23.00
The Boy Who Defied His KarmaBased on the life of the author, The Boy Who Defied His Karma is a story of resilience and hope. On a freighter headed for Japan in November 1943, a shivering boy stood on deck with his father's arms around him. Wrenched from his home in Bangkok by the Japanese military, the boy wondered what fate awaited him. "Bunji," his father said, "I doubt your life in Japan will be easy for you. But do whatever you must in order to live fully. Take risks and live. Make your own karma." A week later, with his father's execution for treason for aiding the British in Burma, Bunji becomes an orphan. Put into a Tokyo orphanage, he battles hunger, cold, and loneliness. Despite his misery, he wants to go to school. Remembering his father's last words to him, at age 12 Bunji runs away from the orphanage only to become a starving street urchin in Kobe. Then, thanks to his resourcefulness and the kindness of many, he goes on to live a life full of adventures and accomplishments in Asia, Europe, and the Hawaiian islands.
$14.95
Acts of God While on Vacationby Richard TillotsonA suspense–filled tale that whisks readers from the halls of British Parliament, to the forests of Borneo, to the shores of Waikiki, provoking generous laughter and cosmic questions along the way.
$14.95
Pineapple Upside DownBy Patrick StackThis edgy social satire examines Hawaii's past and present. Grace Delacruz, indigenous scholar and activist, explores her kuleana; her duty to her culture and her pursuit for Hawaiian sovereignty. Her journey takes her to New York, the White House and even the Oprah Winfrey show. Billy Dawkins, a young business executive connected to a controversial real estate development, finds conflict between his career path and his own personal exploration into his conscience. The story unfolds as an unlikely association between the two fleshes out other colorful characters with varied agendas and different core beliefs. Pineapple Upside Down is an up–market, fast–paced novel that contains elements of mystery, intrigue, romance, and humor, woven into the context of Hawaiian history and contemporary Hawaiian institutions, while taking on a critical examination of life in a culturally pluralistic society.
$12.95
Aloha KikiBy Angel M. Hiatt
Illustrated by Scott BosshardtAloha Kiki is a story about a cat's typical day and adventures inside her magical secret garden on the island of Hawaii. Aloha Kiki's book captures the beauty of Hawaiís wonderful creatures, exotic plants, beautiful flowers, ponds with goldfish, and luscious landscapes. Aloha Kiki has lots of fun and excitement as she plays and learns while exploring her magical secret garden. The real Aloha Kiki was rescued from near death by the Hawaii Island Humane Society, where they nursed her back to health. Since her adoption, she has brought nothing but sunshine and love to all those she touches. She inspired this story about her happy life. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this book will be donated to the Hawaii Island Humane Society to help with the rescue and care of other animals in need of adoption.
$17.95
Damien: The Making of a SaintGreater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends... Father Damien lived and died by these words, and by his life and death he became a saint. In his life he gave himself, body and soul, to serve leprosy sufferers at the isolated settlement of Kalawao in the Hawaiian Islands. What is the best way to tell his story? The best way, the truest way, is also the simplest way: in his own words. Damien's words are the heart and soul of this book—vital testimony, all the way to his innermost thoughts, and the meditations of his heart. Together with photographs, other images, and the voices of those who knew him best—colleagues, patients, clergy, and physicians— Damien: The Making of a Saint brings us as close as we can come to the man himself.
$22.95
E Kahe Malie: Hawaiian Piano Instrumentalsby Daniel HoSix–time Grammy award winner Daniel Ho presents the music of his instrumental piano album, E Kahe Malie. The piano arrangements featured include original compositions by Daniel, timeless monarchy–era classics by Princess Miriam Likelike and Queen Lili'uokalani, as well as traditional Hawaiian standards.
$15.95
Fiberglass and MegapixelsBy Derek Hoffmann and Craig HoffmannSwarms of photographers arrive in Hawaii every winter to focus their cameras on the best surfers in the world as they push the limits of wave riding. Fiberglass and Megapixels shines the light on Hawaiiís North Shore winter surfing scene and exposes the true beauty within the overcrowded, image–gathering free–for–all. The surfing industry relies on these inspiring pictures from Hawaii to sell the surfing image to the masses. But before that surfing image can capture the attention of the purchasing public, it first must be captured in the camera. Fiberglass and Megapixels focuses on a classic group of professional surfers, photographers and cinematographers who share their perspective on what it takes and what it means to get that epic shot, and live a life completely based on surfing.
$19.95
Fighting in Paradise: Labor Unions, Racism, and Communists in the Making of Modern Hawaiiby Gerald HornePowerful labor movements played a critical role in shaping modern Hawaii, beginning in the 1930's, when International Longshore and Warehousemanís Union (ILWU) representatives were dispatched to the islands to organize plantation and dock laborers. They were stunned by the conditions they found in Hawaii, where the majority of workers— Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino in origin–were routinely subjected to repression and racism at the hands of white bosses. The wartime civil liberties crackdown brought union organizing to a halt, but as the war wound down, Hawaii workers' frustrations boiled over, leading to an explosive success in the forming of unions. Hawaii's extensive social–welfare system and the continuing power of unions to shape the state politically are a direct result of those troubled times. Based on exhaustive archival research in Hawaii, California, Washington, and elsewhere, Gerald Horne's gripping story of Hawaii workers' struggle to unionize reads like a suspense novel as it details for the first time how radicalism and racism helped shape Hawaii in the twentieth century.
$28.99
Up Among the StarsBy Matthew Kaopio, Jr.The story of 'Ikau, a young Hawaiian man in search of a place to belong, continues in this sequel to Written in the Sky. He is still living in the park, watching the prowlings of a mangy cat, getting caught up in a swarm of golden butterflies, sleeping under a bridge, having flying dreams. His wanderings take him downtown, to the scuzziness around A'ala Park, to the planetarium at Bishop Museum, to a graveyard where he time–travels back to an earlier Honolulu, to a rehabilitation hospital, and to a rally at 'Iolani Palace. And at last, among the Hawaiians there, he finds—blessedly—what he has always wanted and needed: the embrace of family. He belongs, and life is good.
$11.95
Elvis Presley for Ukulele: 20 Songs from the KingArranged by Jim BeloffStrum, sing, and pick along with 20 classic hits from The King, expertly arranged for ukulele by Jim Beloff.
$14.99
Oahu's Ultimate Beach Guide MapBy Matt & Deborah SeeWhen it's time to explore Oahu, this map makes a great guide! Even with the availability of many kinds beach maps at resort/hotel travel desks, the folks at Sea to Sky Maps have heard from many visitors: "I wish I knew what each beach was like, so we didn't waste so much time trying to find a beach that would work for our whole family." With detailed descriptions of each beach, including full color pictures, Oahu's Ultimate Beach Guide Map solves this problem! Visitors can now plan their day knowing exactly what each beach has to offer, whether it will suit their family needs, what they have to bring, and how to get there—with or without a GPS unit—all before leaving the hotel!
$5.95
Grapes of Canaan: Hawaii 1820By Albertine LoomisGrapes of Canaan is a documentary novel about the first print shop between the Rockies and Asia in the 1820s. The printers were among a group of missionaries who traveled from New England to Hawaii to convert the natives to the Christian faith. Albertine Loomis, great–granddaughter of printer–religionists Elisha and Maria Loomis has told the story of her ancestors and the early years of their life in the Islands. To read Grapes of Canaan is to begin an understanding of how present–day Hawaii came to be.
$22.00
HenryBy Henry KaponoFrom "feel good" sing along songs, to ballads of hope, love and dreams and songs about friendship and encouragement combined with Henry Kapono's never ending love affair with the islands and his passion for power and rock, this album is the culmination of the man, the music and the extraordinary talent and legend that is pure Henry.
$17.95
Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the PastBy John R.K. ClarkHawaiian Surfing is a history of the traditional sport narrated primarily by native Hawaiians who wrote for the Hawaiian–language newspapers of the 1800s. An introductory section covers traditional surfing, including descriptions of the six Hawaiian surf–riding sports (surfing, bodysurfing, canoe surfing, body boarding, skimming, and river surfing). This is followed by an exhaustive Hawaiian–English dictionary of surfing terms and references from Hawaiian–language publications, and a special section of Waikiki place names related to traditional surfing. The information in each of these sections is supported by passages in Hawaiian, followed by English translations. The work concludes with a glossary of English–Hawaiian surfing terms and an index of proper names, place names, and surf spots.
$24.00
Hawaii's Pets: Photos of Our Animal 'OhanaBy Tim McGuire
Photography by Deb McGuireBy Kris Matsuyama and Patrick Newbery
Sing–Along CD by Willie K.Here in Hawaii, we love our furry, feathered, and scaly friends. Whether they come from the breeder, the shelter, or the farm, our pets are as much a part of our lives as slippers or SPAM musubi. They are always eager to come bounding out of the water with a tennis ball, to nap on our laps while we watch TV, to comfort us when we've had a tough day. Hawaii's Pets, with photography by renowned animal photographer Deb McGuire and adorable captions by Tim McGuire, captures our beloved family members in their favorite places—the beach, the yard, the pasture, and our homes. These kittens, puppies, horses, cows, birds, rabbits, goats, pigs, and reptiles will have you oohing and ahhing—and laughing! Each one of these critters is bursting with personality. There are also plenty of tips to help you take great photos of your own pets.
$14.95
IZ: The Ukulele Songbook (Ukulele TAB Edition)Edited by Alfred Publishing StaffThe current worldwide appreciation of ukulele music can easily be traced to one man, Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole. Israel's music conveys joy and hope and is loved the world over. Tragically, Iz passed away at the age of 38 in 1997. The state flag of Hawaii was flown at half mast as he lay in state at the Hawaiian capitol building. He was the third person in Hawaiian history to be bestowed this honor. This songbook contains 14 songs transcribed for ukulele exactly as Iz performed them.
$19.99
Kale'aBy Kawika AlficheKale'a, Kawika's newest compilation of Hawaiian mele (songs) will evoke an array of emotions from joy and happiness to wistful longing. These songs have been chosen to spark the different feelings that love represents from new beginnings, playful courtship, deep passion, love that has lasted through the years and love that has left before its time. Kale'a features several original compositions written by Kawika.
$17.95
Little Hawaiian Condiments CookbookBy Muriel MiuraPlain tortilla chips and raw vegetables getting you down? Don't worry! Gathered together in this handy volume are recipes for dips, dressings, jams, butters, chutneys, salsas, marinades, rubs, and much, much more. Defined as something used to enhance the flavor of food or something that complements a dish, these condiments will help you add that special island zing to everything from appetizers to entrees. Bring short ribs marinated in Korean Barbecue Sauce to your next beach cookout; spread Pineapple Orange Marmalade on toasted English muffins; spice up your next tailgate party with Green Chili Relish or Papaya Salsa. These 'onolicious local–style recipes, carefully selected from the bestselling cookbooks by Muriel Miura, are sure to please!
$7.95
Henry Kapono TropicsBy Henry KaponoThis new Henry Kapono compilation CD is a treasure chest of classic Kapono and Cecilio & Kapono songs spanning 30 years and 10 albums. Full of mega hits, no Kapono collection is complete without Henry Kapono Tropics!
$17.95
Surfing in Hawaii: 1778-1930 (Images of America)By Timothy Tovar DeLaVegaWhen the early European explorers traversed the globe, their journals held numerous accounts of Hawaiians enjoying surfing. Since Europeans of that era were not accustomed to swimming in their own cold waters, it must have seemed like a dream to watch naked native Hawaiians riding the waves of a turbulent sea. Nowhere in the ancient world was surfing as ingrained into the culture as on the islands of Hawaii. He'e nalu (wave sliding) was the national sport and enjoyed by all. When a swell was up, whole villages were deserted as everyone fled to the beach to test their surfing skills. Legends of famous surf riders were retold in mele (song/chant), and fortunes could be decided on the outcome of a surfing contest. From these shores, modern surfing was born, along with the iconic romantic images of bronzed surfers, grass shacks, and hula.
$21.99
Voices of Maui: Natives and NewcomersBy Norm BezaneListen to the voices—60 stories of the descendants of Polynesian warriors, kings and queens; of sugar plantation workers, as well as recent 21st century transplants who live, work, and play on the island of Maui. Stories about people whose culture is built upon a love of the land, as well as people who couldn't resist moving to Maui because they were deeply taken by the island's beauty. Maui residents—among them Native Hawaiians, entertainers, merchants, movers and shakers, and colorful characters–all give their perspectives and insights through their stories on what makes Maui the incredibly special place it is.
$14.95
Kauai: 100 Years in PostcardsBy Stormy CozadThis collection of vintage postcards of Kauai spans 100 years, beginning with Hawaii's annexation and Kauai's history as a tourist destination. Postcards bring back the history of Kauai from the earliest visitors, arriving first by sailing vessel and then steamers, to the infancy of air travel. The reader will be reminded of the glory years of the Kauai Surf, the Coco Palms, and the Hanalei Plantation, showing as many other favorite landmarks as possible that have been lost to time and Mother Nature.
$21.99