Piafe, New Land

Piafe, New LandPiafe, New Land is a story from Chuuk, in Micronesia, where many dialects are spoken. Here, it is presented in a bilingual form and is retold as it was passed down to author Mama Inno from her grandmother, Mama Nanis, who chanted Piafe to her as a child. The story teaches the values of communication and friendship. In this version, the chant has been decorated with a storyline to set the background for those unfamiliar with the islands. Mama Inno uses

Piafe, New Land is a story from Chuuk, in Micronesia, where many dialects are spoken. Here, it is presented in a bilingual form and is retold as it was passed down to author Mama Inno from her grandmother, Mama Nanis, who chanted “Piafe” to her as a child. The story teaches the values of communication and friendship. In this version, the chant has been decorated with a storyline to set the background for those unfamiliar with the islands.

Mama Inno uses English and a mixture of Chuukese dialects. Traditional Micronesian storytelling is oral. The stories can be spoken, chanted, and/or sung. This means that stories can also vary based on the language or dialect used by the storyteller. The
presentation of Chuukese language without diacritical marks and the inclusion of the English ismeant to perpetuate oral storytelling when reading this story aloud. Chuukese readers have the freedom to pronounce the words as they are spoken in their respective dialect. English allows the story to be more accessible to a wider audience while beingused as a learning tool to English language learners and to be accessible for non-Chuukese audiences.

• juvenile nonfiction, folk tale, legends & mythology, Oceania, Micronesia, Chuuk
• target age: 6-9 years old

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Author Innocenta Sound-Kikku, fondly referred to as Mama Inno, is an experienced community health navigator for the Chuukese in Hawaiʻi. She is the founder and coordinator of Pacific Voices, a cultural arts and literacy program with Kokua Kalihi Valley’s (KKV) Youth Services. She is also the founder of KKV’s NieiRek Micronesian women empowerment program. 

Illustrator Lissette Yamase is a self-taught charcoal artist who creates art in the hopes of preserving and celebrating the profound stories, cultures, and values of the islands she calls home. Lissette was born on the island of Palau and was raised on the islands of Saipan, Chuuk, and Pohnpei.

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hardcover   |   32 pages   |   12" x 9"   |   color