Elvis and Me

Monday, May 13, 2013          80.0°F  

How did Elvis and I get on the same page in Wayne Harada’s column, you ask. Well, I did see Elvis  perform in Vegas before he died; he tossed his sweat-drenched handkerchiefs to the audience and I could easily have grabbed one but I didn’t. Now, if  he were Bing Crosby, I would have climbed over heads and bodies. This isn’t about handkerchiefs so read on.

Beloved personal collection of Elvis items will aid MVT
By Wayne Harada
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 12, 2013

 
Disclosure: I’ve been a collector of recorded music for more than 60 years. Imagine walls of shelves and boxes upon boxes on the floor containing vinyl 331⁄3 LPs, 45 rpm singles, cassettes, CDs and videos. To me, this was pure treasure; to my wife, junk that took up a whole bedroom and then some.

 
So clearing out a lifetime of recorded music — whole lotta spending and shaking going on over the decades — has been painful and nostalgic. There were easily 10,000 titles, representing a lifetime of memories and reflecting a soundtrack of my life from the 1950s to the present.

 
Amid the stash, I discovered vintage collectibles and decided to dub a parcel “The <B>Elvis Presley Quartet” to donate as a live-auction bundle for Manoa Valley Theatre’s upcoming Manoa Marquee fundraiser, “Rock ‘n’ Roll is Here to Stay!,” at 5 p.m. May 19 at the Pacific Club. Elvis may not realize it, but proceeds will help MVT continue its tradition of presenting quality stage productions.

 
The package includes:

 
» An autographed photo of The King. Got it when I was in high school. (I still savor another photo, addressed to me.)

 
» A limited-edition “Aloha Elvis” decanter of bourbon (still filled) with Elvis clad in a white jumpsuit and lei. This trophy was created for a USS Arizona Memorial fundraiser (a project he supported), and doubles as a music box that plays “Blue Hawaii.”

 
» Four mint-condition 33 1⁄3 vinyl LPs of Presley’s early best-sellers.

 
» A coffee-table book, “Elvis: A Celebration,” by Mike Evans, DK Publishing.

 
It’s priceless stuff, impossible to merely give away since it represents part of a storied history of listening, collecting, interviewing and reviewing Elvis over the decades. For the right collector of things Elvis, it’s a gold mine.
Are you that collector? If so, call 988-6131 for ticket info — and bring your credit card. …

 
PERSONALITIES: Congrats to isle author Frances Kakugawa; her “Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!” (Watermark Publishing) won best children’s book laurels at the 20th annual Book Awards Competition sponsored by the Northern California Publishers/Authors group. So all three of her “Wordsworth” books have that gold-seal winner’s decal on the cover. …

 
SMALL WORLD: When Matt Yee was at the Red Carpet Club in Narita, on a layover from Hong Kong/ Macau where he was performing, he overheard on the speaker: “Robert Cazimero, would you please …” Yep, Cazimero constantly visits Asia. Yee just staged his “Divas Live!” show in the Big Apple. …

 
ON BROADWAY: Local theater buffs who remember Kevin Gray, the Broadway actor who portrayed Scar in “The Lion King” in its Honolulu debut six years ago, may be interested in a celebration of his life at 2 p.m. Monday at the Majestic Theatre, where “Phantom of the Opera” resides. Gray died Feb. 11; Harold Prince, Craig Schulman, Cris Groenendaal, Rebecca Luker, Hugh Panaro and Dodie Pettit (Gray’s widow) will participate. Share your aloha if you’re in the Big Apple. …

 
SHORTS OF SORTS: Universal is delaying “Jurassic Park 4″ filming even though director Colin Trevorrow has been prepping here for the June 24 shooting launch, now on hold. …
Frank De Lima’s Mother’s Day show unfolds twice, at 10:30 a.m. (brunch) and 6 p.m (dinner) today, at Pagoda’s C’est Si Bon. Call 948-8370. …

 
“Rain,” the Beatles experience, debuts Tuesday at Blaisdell Concert Hall. …

 
Society of Seven LV unveils a new show Tuesday at the Outrigger Waikiki’s Main Showroom. On weekends, “Live at the Outrigger” with Augie T and Andy Bumatai launches at 10 p.m. Saturday and repeats Saturdays thereafter. Call 923-7465. …

 
And that’s “Show Biz.” …

 
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at http://www.staradvertiser.com

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Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! wins Best Children’s Book, 2013

Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! won two awards last night at the

Northern CA Publishers/Authors 20^th Annual Book Awards Competition dinner event. 

Best Children’s Book of 2013 and third prize in Cover & Design.

It was an honor to received the awards from President Ted Witt and NY  best selling author John

Lescroart.  

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Wordsworth Book Signing

   Book Signing for Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

1 P.M.

Barnes & Noble

6111 Sunrise Blvd

Citrus Heights, CA

Ph: 916-853-1389

It would be sooo embarrassing if no one came…..

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Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! Reviewed By Nancy Arcayna

Wordsworth and I made the Hawaii newspaper today:

Honolulu Star/Advertiser

February 9, 2013

“Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!” by Frances H. Kakugawa (Watermark Publishing, $10.95), tells the tale of Wordsworth, a small Hawaii mouse, and a few of his friends who use poetry in their attempts save a koa tree grove.

Wordsworth is troubled when he finds a load of fallen trees on a truck bed and a bulldozer ready to plow down the last remaining tree, the one where he and his best friend, Emily, had carved their initials. As the tiny friends struggle to make a difference and preserve the forest, one of Wordsworth’s poems becomes a rallying point as two groups of adult mice debate the trees’ importance.

The friends find their “Save This Tree” poems taped to pine, mango and coconut trees. Young children might get lost in the words, but the message is endearing.

Tree in a Box kits, which can be purchased at www.bookshawaii.net for $14, include seeds to start a milo tree (a type of tree from the hibiscus family, similar to hau) along with a “Wordsworth” book.The activity of planting a tree may make the environmentally friendly message clearer for younger readers.

Colorful illustrations by Andrew J. Catanzariti bring the tale to life.

Write an ode to your favorite tree . Have a favorite tree that inspires you to write poetry? Watermark Publishing and Hawaii-born author Frances Kakugawa invite keiki in grades K-12 to participate in the “Wordsworth the Poet Poe-TREE Contest.” To enter the contest, kids are invited to follow the example of Wordsworth and write a poem that celebrates their favorite tree. Six prize packages — two per grade division: K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 — will be awarded. Each package includes a copy of the three Wordsworth series books, a child’s gardening tool kit and Koa Legacy Tree from the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative donated by Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods. Download the entry form at bookshawaii.net and click on News and Events. By March 1, send entries marked “ATTN: Wordsworth’s Poe-TREE Contest” via email to wordsworth@bookshawaii.net or to Watermark Publishing, 1088 Bishop St. Suite 310, Hono?lulu, HI?96813. Winners will be notified April 15.

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From Wordsworth

Look everyone. We have posted these photos to help answer a question that is often asked by people who come to Frances’ and my  book signing events:

“What age is this book written for?”

( There’s another question that is often asked but we’ll talk about that on another day)

I like Frances’ answer when she says, “I’ve been signing  these Wordsworth  books  for unborn children all the way to  adults”.  And she has. The themes in these books are relevant to people of all ages. Well, at least that’s what the reviewers have said. I also heard readers are writing haiku and tanka poems  just like the poems in this book. And planting trees!

These two boys are sons of Frances’ former 6^th grade student, Bob Webster, who now live in New York.   Bob used to be like Wordsworth. In one of Frances’ poems,  she  wrote about Bob saying, after he finished writing a poem,  “I’m all poemed out.” You can find this poem in Teacher, You Look Like a Horse on page 73. Sorry everyone, but I am forced to promote her other books, that was our understanding when I was allowed to add this post here. I know, the  book business is tough, right?

Bob’s three sons are planning to plant a tree for the Wordsworth Plant a Tree Society in Spring. I guess  it’s too snowy to plant trees in NY. Son #3 was taking a bath when this photo was taken.

And here’s  Dorothy Jalcick  enjoying my book.  She’s with her daughter Diane Woodruff. A little bird told me Dorothy  reads all of my three books over and over because she really likes them.

Now, that makes me feel good because books, if written well,  are read over and over again. So thank you, Dorothy and boys,for enjoying Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!

We don’t have photos of another reader who is over 90 years old. When George read this book, he wanted to plant a Koa tree so Frances arranged to have one planted in his name,  by the Hawaiian Hardwood Alliance. So we’re all happy folks on this page.

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My e-books

Hello Everyone, My books are now available as e-Books. Check out the site below, posted by Watermark Publishing.

http://bookshawaii.net/frances-kakugawa

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Poetry Contest

Posted by Watermark Publishers who recently released my Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!

Author and Mouse Announce a Poetry Contest to Honor Trees: Wordsworth the Poet’s Poe-TREE Contest

Frances H. Kakugawa, author of the Wordsworth the Poet children’s books, and Watermark Publishing of Honolulu announce the Wordsworth the Poet “Poe-TREE Contest,” open to children in grades kindergarten through 12^th grade. (Contest rules follow.)

In Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! — the newest Wordsworth the Poet adventure released this month — a bulldozer has invaded the little mouse’s special koa grove where he often writes his poems. What should Wordsworth do? His new friend, Akiko, has an idea! Wordsworth, Akiko and their friends have all written poems about the special qualities of the trees they see around them — mango trees, coconut trees, kukui trees. Akiko tacks poems to each tree and reminds their neighbors of how important a part of their community the trees really are.

To enter the Wordsworth the Poet Poe-TREE Contest, kids can follow Wordsworth and Akiko’s example and write a poem that celebrates their favorite tree. Six prize packages will be awarded, two per grade division (K-5, 6-8 and 9-12). Each prize package includes a copy of each of the three books in the Wordsworth series, a child’s gardening tool kit and a Koa Legacy Tree from the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, donated by Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods.

Send entries ATTN: Wordsworth’s Poe-TREE Contest to wordsworth@bookshawaii.net or to Watermark Publishing, 1088 Bishop St., Ste. 310, Honolulu, HI 96813. The contest is open to all children kindergarten through 12^th grade residing in the United States. Each entry must include the child’s name, age and grade, school, hometown and parent, guardian or teacher’s contact information and signature. For complete rules, contest information and to download the entry form, visit
http://blog.bookshawaii.net
. Entries must be received by January 15, 2013. Winners will be notified February 1, 2013.

For those who are ineligible to enter the Poe-TREE Contest, or who aren’t inclined to write poetry, Kakugawa and Wordsworth have another way to celebrate trees: They invite readers far and wide to plant trees in their own communities. “It’s not only about trees being cut down where we live,” Kakugawa writes in the introduction to Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! “Our children and their children must have trees in their future to hug and enjoy and sit under in the shade. Trees also help keep us alive and healthy.”

Kakugawa has created Wordsworth’s Plant A Tree Society to recognize readers of all ages who plant a tree in Wordsworth’s honor. To receive a membership certificate in the Plant A Tree Society, readers must plant a tree for Wordsworth in their community (in the backyard or at school, for example) and post a photo of themselves with their tree on Wordsworth’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WordsworthThePoet). Photo submissions should indicate the variety of the tree and where it was planted. Submissions may also be e-mailed to wordsworth@bookshawaii.net or mailed to Watermark Publishing. Photos will not be returned and will be posted online.

Watermark Publishing recognizes that not everyone can plant a tree in their own backyard, and has teamed up with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative to offer a solution: a program to plant Wordsworth Legacy Koa Trees on Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods’ 1,000 acres of conservation land on the Hamakua Coast of Hawai‘i Island. Groups or individuals may sponsor a Wordsworth Legacy Tree for $60. The purchase also includes a copy of Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!, a certificate bearing the GPS coordinates of the planted tree, and automatic membership in Wordsworth’s Plant A Tree Society. Additionally, $10 of the sponsorship fee will be directed to a fund dedicated to providing Legacy Trees for underprivileged children. Wordsworth Legacy Trees may be purchased at
http://legacytrees.org/watermarkpublishing
.

This land  once belonged to King Kamehameha I. The thousands of Koa trees that once covered this land were destroyed for ranching and farming. All Heritage trees planted will not be harvested and will bear the name of the person for whom the tree was planted.

Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! joins Wordsworth the Poet and Wordsworth Dances the Waltz in the award-winning series of children’s books featuring the poetry-loving mouse, which have won among them “Best Book” awards from both Hawai‘i and California book publishers’ associations, as well as a Mom’s Choice silver award for Wordsworth Dances the Waltz, a book about families living with grandparents with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related illnesses. Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! is illustrated by Honolulu artist Andrew J. Catanzariti.

Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! (ISBN-13 978-1-935690-30-6) is available in hardcover for $10.95 at bookstores and other retail outlets and from online booksellers, or direct from the publisher at www.bookshawaii.net.  Contact Watermark Publishing, 1088 Bishop St., Suite 310, Honolulu, HI 96813; telephone 1-808-587-7766; toll-free 1-866- 900-BOOK; fax 1-808-521-3461; e-mail sales@bookshawaii.net.

#   #   #

Wordsworth the Poet’s Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/WordsworthThePoet

Wordsworth’s Legacy Trees:
http://legacytrees.org/watermarkpublishing

Wordsworth’s Poe-TREE Contest Rules:
http://blog.bookshawaii.net/2012/11/20/wordsworth-poetree-contest/

Contact:  Dawn Sakamoto (808) 534-7170 or dawn@bookshawaii.net

Dawn T. Sakamoto | Director of Sales & Marketing

Watermark Publishing | Legacy Isle Publishing | 1088 Bishop St., Ste. 310 | Honolulu, HI  96813

dir: 808-534-7170 | main: 808-587-7766 | fax: 808-521-3461

e-mail: dawn@bookshawaii.net | web: www.bookshawaii.net

 

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WatermarkHawaii

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WatermarkPublishing

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lst Review: Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer

Hawai’i Book Blog

Articles

Book End: Weekend of November 2, 2012

Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! (Keiki Book Review)

by Alex on November 3, 2012

0

One of my favorite keiki book series returns with its third installment, Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! (Watermark, 2012).

The book begins with an opening request from author Frances H. Kakugawa to join the Wordsworth Plant A Tree Society. The gist of it is to plant a tree, have your picture taken doing so, and you’ll receive a Wordsworth certificate along with your photo being featured on her Facebook page. No surprise, I am very eager to join the society and get a certificate; I just need to figure out how to plant a tree! For more info on the Plant a Tree Society and a view of the certificate, visit Frances Kakugawa’s Blog.

In Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!, Wordsworth misses his long-time friend Emily, who recently moved to Maine. Along with his buddies Dylan and Eliot, Wordsworth befriends Akiko, a new student from Japan who sits in Emily’s old seat at school and helps to teach them Japanese poetry. While exploring, the group learn about different wood grains and trees from Wordsworth. In one of my favorite exchanges, one of his friends asks, “Wordsworth, how do you know all this stuff?” To which Wordsworth replies, “Oh, I read it in a book.” Meanwhile, distracted by the melancholy of Emily’s departure, Wordsworth finds his special koa grove decimated by a bulldozer, leaving just one tree left. Through forms of protest, both physical and written, Wordsworth, Akiko and their friends find ways to raise awareness about the importance of saving the trees in our community.

Like previous books in the series, this one is full of poems written by Wordsworth, including a couple by Akiko and their friends. Akiko’s inclusion to the series introduces readers to the ancient Japanese style of tanka poems, which are explained in the introduction as 5-line poems with 31 syllables following a 5-7-5-7-7 format. Aside from learning various forms of Japanese poetry, Wordsworth also continues to teach children the importance of friendship (Wordsworth keeps in touch by writing to his long-distance friend Emily and makes an effort to befriend new student Akiko), reading books (see my favorite exchange in the previous paragraph), the impact of trees on a community’s history and the environment, and of course the power of writing. I always love that this series promotes poetry as a means of not only expressing your personal thoughts and emotions, but that the power of words have the potency not only to describe, but to inspire action.

 What would happen, if all the poets in the world wrote poems to save our forests, rivers, animals, earth, air and oceans? Wouldn’t that be something?

Whether intentional or not, another aspect of the Wordsworth series that I’ve grown to enjoy is how it’s become a vehicle for featuring different local illustrators. Wordsworth the Poet began with Scott Goto, who helped define the lasting look and feel of the Wordsworth series. Wordsworth Dances the Waltz presented the stylistic brush of Melissa DeSica, whose Watermark book Gecko and Mosquito is another favorite of mine. And now Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! is illustrated by Andrew J. Catanzariti, who recently did a fantastic job on the cover art of Don’t Look Back: Hawaiian Myths Made New. Catanzariti continues to honor the classic design of the Wordsworth books while flavoring the illustrations with his own colorful sketching style. One of my favorite sections is towards the end, when each of Wordsworth’s friends writes a poem to save a tree. It brings together varying types of trees and poetry, each punctuated by dynamic portraits of the tree and its mouse savior.

Overall, this is another excellent entry in the Wordsworth the Poet series. Kakugawa’s writing finds ways to encourage children to get involved with issues such as the environment, get interested in different styles of writing such as Japanese poetry, and promote healthy and fulfilling relationships with their peers. Maybe I am biased because I am a big fan, but I highly recommend this book and any in the series as essential keiki reads. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!
by Frances H. Kakugawa; illustrated by Andrew J. Catanzariti
Watermark Publishing, 2012
32 pages, hardcover
$10.95

For Frances H. Kakugawa events in Hawaii, including readings and book signings for the Wordsworth the Poet series, check out our HBB Events Calendar.

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Wordsworth the Poet’s Face Book site

From : Wordsworth the Poet  

Hello Everyone,

Have you visited my Facebook site?  I know you go to Frances’ site but please visit me at

http://www.facebook.com/WordsworthThePoet

My new book Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! is still in China and should be arriving soon.

The good news is, my loyal fans are already planting trees. Readers are invited to plant a Wordsworth tree in this book so  Tammy planted a Wordsworth tree almost a year ago when she heard about my new book. Look at her Ohi’a tree with all the Lehua blossoms. I have  an album with all the Wordsworth trees. My dream is to have a Wordsworth tree in all 50 states and even in other countries. So please spread the word.

Tammy Aoki Antonio

The exciting news today is this: Frances and I are going to plant a very special Koa tree on the Big Island. It will be in a very special place, once owned by King Kamehameha I.  So we will have a tree planting ceremony on Oct 23rd.  There will even be a photographer present so I’ll post some photos later. I got some information for you below about that special place.

This once pristine tropical forest was the personal property of King Kamehameha I – the first King of Hawaii. Sadly, the land was cleared nearly a century ago to make room for farming and ranching. Fortunately, some of the old growth koa treess till reside on the property. HLH is utilizing these trees as the seed source for all Legacy Trees in an effort to return this tropical forest to its former glory.

Koa wood is very pricey and I know Frances jokes that the only koa thing she owns is a koa bookmark. So how could I afford this tree? Our publisher bought the tree to honor my book. Wow, I bet even Mickey Mouse doesn’t have a tree with his name on it. Hey, Mickey Mouse, do you have your own facebook, too? Oops. Frances just nudged me to remind me to be humble.

I’ll be in touch from Hawaii…Aloha,

wordsworth the poet

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Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii/ Watermark Publishing presents Frances Kakugawa

• • Saturday, November 10, 2012
  • 9:30am until 12:30pm in UTC-10

• The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i and Watermark Publishing present a series of author readings and discussions with former educator and caregiving advocate Frances Kakugawa at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, 2454 S. Beretania St., on Sat., Nov. 10, 9:30am – 12:30pm. 9:30 – 10:00am – Kapoho presentation (Historical Gallery); Frances will read from her newest book, Kapoho: Memoir of a Modern Pompeii and speak on the experience of growing up Japanese-American after the bombing of Pearl Harbor 10:00 – 10:30am – Book signing at Author’s Table outside Gift Shop 10:30 – 11:00am – Aging With Dignity (Historical Gallery); Frances will read from her works on caregiving and address the topics of: easing the burdens of caregiving through creative writing, how to bring dignity back to the caregiving experience, and coping with Alzheimer’s for families and children 11:00 – 11:30am – Children’s book reading (Historical Gallery); Frances will read from her children’s books, Wordsworth the Poet, Wordsworth Dances the Waltz and her brand-new release, Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! 11:30am – 12:30pm – Book signing at Author’s Table outside Gift Shop

Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i

2454 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826

View Map · Get Directions

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