A new, locally produced children’s book on the shelves at the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens Gift Shop creates an opportunity for keiki to learn all about marmosets, cute creatures known for being the smallest monkeys in the world.
“A Monkey’s Tale: Maria’s Seven Rainforest Marmosets” was written by Sarah Marie Riley, illustrated by Keali‘imakamana‘onalani Po‘oloa, and printed by Petroglyph Press in Hilo.
The book is the result of a collaboration between the zoo, the Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo, and the Sierra Club of Hawaii.
Proceeds from the book sales will go to Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo, a nonprofit that supports the zoo.
“We really appreciate this partnership, which has brought this story to life with a local flair,” said Zoo Administrator Mindy Runnells. “This children’s book is fun and educational and can give keiki an appreciation for these unique animals while also sharing an important conservation message.”
The project to produce the book began when Sierra Club of Hawaii approached Runnells with a draft of a children’s book that Riley, a Sierra Club member who passed away, had left with them.
Sierra Club, Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo and Runnells worked together to fine-tune the story, have it illustrated by a local artist, and printed with a local company, with the Sierra Club funding the initial production.
The story follows Maria as she teaches Mike about marmosets, which are sometimes known as “pocket monkeys” due to their small size. Though the story is not set at the zoo, some of the illustrations feature scenes that will be recognizable to zoo visitors.
The zoo has two marmosets among the nearly 300 animals that live there.