The shaka is having more than a moment. This legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill designating it as the state symbol. And this week, a film screening in Kahala explored the origins of the shaka.
In the audience was Enchanted Lake Elementary sixth grader Zoe Leigh, who coincidentally wrote a story entitled “Papa Says... Shaka!” The Kailua student's book was released this month by BeachHouse Publishing.
Zoe talked with The Conversation about how her idea for the book started in 2022.
"My family from the mainland came, and we went on a boat, and one of the crew taught us a few of the shakas. So whenever we came back to our house, we decided to go around and make new shakas. So I was like, this could become a good book. So I grabbed my aunt's phone and just started writing in the Notes app," Zoe said.
"I honestly thought it would be a lot shorter of a process, but two years later, we're here now. And it's crazy that my book is now published."
According to her book, there are 10 shakas to learn.
"The 10th shaka is called the ʻOhana Shaka. You get your whole family together in a circle, everyone creates a shaka with their right and left hands, then you connect your shaka pinky with your ʻohana's shaka pinky. Everyone shakes the shakas and says, 'Shake a little shaka,'" Zoe said, reading from her book.
When asked if she plans to write another book, she said, "I do, but it's a secret right now."
The young author will host a book reading at Bookends in Kailua on June 1 at noon. The book was illustrated by Holly Braffet.
This interview aired on The Conversation on May 17, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
