Claire and her brother, Timbo, each make winter-themed dioramas for a school project. Timbo’s is cotton balls of snow and glitter; Claire’s is about migration—their home, the Big Island of Hawaiʿi, is a winter refuge for many birds. Their parents also drive them high up Mauna Kea to see and play in snow for the first time. Someday, Claire thinks, she’ll live where snow falls regularly; she’ll own mittens so she doesn’t need socks to warm her hands; she’ll have a real sled instead of an inner tube; she’ll be like the Inuit and know a hundred names for snow. “Native Hawaiians know the names of a hundred winds and all of the ocean currents,” says her father. On a later trip to Hapuna Beach, Claire and Timbo repeat their snow activities but with sand and water. “My father names the hundred winds that carry the fragrance of these waters to us near the far reef … The tide begins to rise, filling sand angel wings with soft sea foam. I watch my sandman melt away. But I am not sad.” A lively story expressing longing for something different and deep appreciation for what one already has, this lyrical picture book about a girl and her family, which includes Japanese ancestry, and her Hawaiian home and culture is set against dynamic, richly colored digital illustrations. An author’s note discusses the environment and microclimates of the Big Island of Hawaiʿi.  (Ages 5-8)

A celebration of home, family, and finding beauty in your heritage, beautifully illustrated by the artist behind Anti-Racist Baby.

Claire has been surrounded by the deep blue waves of Hapuna Beach and the magnificent mountains of Hawai'i all her life, but has never, ever seen snow. When her father drives her and her family to the top of the Mauna Kea, she can't help but to be disappointed...it's not the winter wonderland she's always dreamed of. And that's what she wants, more than anything.

But as Claire edges ever closer to the new year, she wonders if maybe-- just maybe--she can delight in the special joys of winter in her own way--right there, on her Big Island of Hawaii.

Includes backmatter that captures the environmental culture of Hawaii, and will teach children not only about the local flora and fauna, but also the value of being environmentally friendly.