With dreams, a crystal wand and a beautiful Hawaiian water spirit, a rescued dog discovers the secrets of empowerment. In this enchanting children’s book, Pono’s adventures teach him righteous behavior, Hawaiian values and the meaning of trust in a dangerous world. As Pono the Poi Dog grows from a helpless underdog to a superhero with a mission, he learns the true meaning of his name: Pono.

With dreams, a crystal wand and a beautiful Hawaiian water spirit, a rescued dog discovers the secrets of empowerment. In this enchanting children’s book, Pono’s adventures teach him righteous behavior, Hawaiian values and the meaning of trust in a dangerous world. As Pono the Poi Dog grows from a helpless underdog to a superhero with a mission, he learns the true meaning of his name: Pono. Island author Jocelyn Fujii applies a lifetime of learning from her kupuna into the first of a series of adventures about Pono the Poi Dog, a real-life dog that was rescued on Maui and now lives in a happy home in Honolulu. Illustrated by Hawaiian artist Donna Burns, this 40-page hardcover is a hopeful tale of transformation, of how a timid underdog and an only child find each other and change the world around them. In this gentle story of survival, love and loyalty, even bullies are powerless against those who seek only to do good.

Author Jocelyn Fujii is a native of Kaua‘i and the author of 14 books, including Under the Hula Moon, Stories of Aloha: Homegrown Treasures of Hawai‘i, In the Lee of Hualalai, and Paul Mitchell: Who Was He? Her work has appeared in The New York Times, International Herald-Tribune, Discovery, AAA Hawai‘i, Western Interiors & Design, and other major national and international publications.