Review from Hawaii Tribune Herald
[The] keiki-friendly version of la lauded Hawaii atlas. . .is colorful and full of maps graphs and geographic facts about Hawaii with many photos featuring local folks.
Review from Honolulu Star-Bulletin
[L]ots of up-to-date data and charts. . .in an easy-to-digest form.
Review from The Childrens Bookwatch August 1 2001
Student Atlas of Hawaii is an outstanding student atlas of Hawaii which will hold particular interest for any interested in Hawaiian history and geography: its very simple maps cover all the islands ecosystems and peoples of the islands and use very simple drawings and explanations for education and embellishment.
Review by Chris Oliver The Honolulu Advertiser February 3 2002
...And it has been so successful that the Juviks and Paradise have created a scaled-down Student Atlas of Hawaii in both English and Hawaiian for elementary schools use. Aimed largely at fourth graders the student atlas also contains up-to-date information on island topography populations ecosystems photographs and uses cartoon geckos and mynah birds to ask questions and interpret information for children.
Though the student atlas was published in August 2000 the idea was percolating with publisher Buddy Bess as early as the 1970s. Bess was constantly being approached by teachers asking for up-to-date maps and student atlases of the islands.
When I learned the Juviks and Paradise were working on the Atlas of Hawaii I approached them with my interest in an atlas for Hawaii students teachers and parents Bess said. Ideally it would be colorful inexpensive and focus on the geography from the Islands perspective.
The Juviks were responsive. Especially since plenty of elementary school students move on eventually to the Juviks geography classes at UH-Hilo and find gaps in their knowledge.
In the U.S. after World War II geography kind of disappeared into the great realm of social science James Juvik said. By 1980 many kids didnt know where countries were they didnt know how to read maps or the meanings of terms such as longitude and latitude. The student atlas is an attempt to bring these basic concepts back to children.
In a collaborative publishing effort with Punana Leo the Hawaiian-language immersion group in Hilo the student atlas was printed in both Hawaiian and English. Its now being used in a number of elementary schools on Oahu and the Big Island.
Dian Aoki a fourth-grade teacher at Fern School in Honolulu finds the English version of the atlas a perfect vehicle for her Hawaiian studies class. When I first introduced it we spent some time in class just browsing through it and there was a lot of discussion about the pictures Aoki said. The atlas follows the sequence of lessons for the beginning of the year. I start off teaching map skills where Hawaii is on the map I teach how the islands were formed then go into how plant and animals came to Hawaii Aoki said. The children love that there are lots of photos cartoons and maps.
Review by Hunter Bishop Hawaii Tribune Herald August 10 2000
A new student Atlas of Hawaii represents more than just a new publication from University of Hawaii at Hilo.
The student atlas an outgrowth of the award-winning Atlas of Hawaii published by the UHH Geography & Environmental Studies department in 1998 is an example of how growing resources on the Hilo campus can work together said geography professor Jim Juvik one of the three editors of the atlases.
Juvik said public school teachers throughout the state were clamoring or a student version of the popular Atlas of Hawaii soon after it was published.
Mainland textbooks tend to give Hawaii short shrift he said. And after World War II the study of geography was blended into the social studies curriculum where it became lost Juvik said.
The Hawaii Geography Alliance which helps put geography back in the schools by working with teachers on geography related projects was eager to help develop the student version of the atlas for Hawaii classrooms Juvik said. The private Oahu based alliance is funded in part by the National Geographic Society.
Juvik and fellow UHH geographers Sonia Juvik his wife and Tom Paradise spent a year developing the 49-page student atlas which made its debut in June. The softcover book is colorful and full of maps graphs and geographic facts about Hawaii with many photos featuring local folks whom many Big Island residents will readily recognize.
Hilo artist Loni Koenig created the characters Alala the Hawaiian Crow and his green friend Moo the Gecko to be playful guides to the information in the book which helps students learn about Hawaii through the use of many different kinds of maps. In clear plain language the book explains why some areas of the islands are dry while others are wet why there are different types of islands ecosystems and natural disasters in Hawaii the origin of native plants and animals and the origin of the people who inhabit Hawaii. The book also includes a glossary of terms and a map of the world to keep it all in perspective.
The Atlas of Hawaii is aimed at kids in fourth through sixth grades but Honolulu book stores report that sales are strong with tourists and with former locals now living on the mainland who want good stuff about Hawaii to take or send home Juvik said.
Juvik said the new Hawaiian Studies Department at UHH is currently translating the student atlas for use in Hawaiian language immersion classes statewide where the fast-growing immersion programs have an increasing need for Hawaiian language textbooks.
The confluence of geography Hawaiian studies and the new masters degree in education program in the production of the student atlas at UHH is an example of the exciting possibilities for future projects aimed at students Juvik said especially in the Hawaiian language.
We have the translators in Hawaiian studies he said. And we have the new masters degree in education program. Other university departments could be developing similar projects with these new resources he said. Were looking for other curriculum materials.
Review by Honolulu Star-Bulletin August 4 2000
Hot on the heels of their award-winning Atlas of Hawaii published by the University of Hawaii Press geographers James O. Juvik Thomas R. Paradise and Sonia P. Juvik have created a scaled-down Student Atlas of Hawaii for textbook publisher Bess Press.
The paperback book features - naturally - lots of colorful maps on its 48 pages. It also contains lots of up-to-date data and charts and presents the information in an easy-to-digest form. The data includes information on island topography population symbols and emblems ecosystems involving plants and animals and population figures.
A couple of cartoon geckos and mynah birds are used as guides to the materials.
The authors all teach at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Review by A.C. Honolulu Weekly August 30 2000
Were you one of the many Island students who had to suffer through the mysteries of land-dominated geography? Struggling to envision an unseen world that revolved around north America?
Now theres a worldview that comes straight from the heart dead center to be exact of the Pacific. Student Atlas of Hawaii created by three geographers at UH-Hilo offers kamaaina keiki of today and tomorrow a closer look at where they come from not only through an intro to Hawaii's geography but ecological and social history as well. At last a mirror of our own reflection.
