Pau: The Last Song of Kauaʻi ʻōʻō

A colorful children's book cover titled "Pau: The Last Song of the Kaua'i 'O'o" featuring lush tropical foliage, flowering plants, and a small bird perched on a tree branch on a light green background.

Art and Story by Tony Piedra & Mackenzie Joy

Millions of years ago, the island of Kaua‘i began to bloom with life, color, and sound. In time, the ‘o‘o bird added its song to the island chorus. Then a new species arrived: people. The impact of more and more humans meant fewer and fewer Kaua‘i ‘o‘o. When scientists realized these unique birds were disappearing from the island, they deepened their efforts to observe them, including by recording their song. In time, only a single Kaua‘i ‘o‘o was singing, and inevitably, a day came when there were none: pau. Complete with clear back matter, this gentle and poetic portrait of a species that evolved over thousands of years, declined, and became extinct only a few decades ago touches lightly on key conservation topics like invasive species and island ecology. Illustrations drenched in tropical color will light up the imaginations of young naturalists and fuel their instinct to understand, protect, and defend our planet’s biodiversity. 

Published by: Candlewick Press


“An elegy for a songbird native to the island of Kauaʻi—once common, now vanished. . . . A terse, poignant, richly illustrated, all-too-common story.” Kirkus Reviews

“Although it tackles a tough topic, Pau: The Last Song of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō depicts well the things that can drive extinction—introduced species, habitat loss, natural disasters—and how species loss is often the result of a series of unfortunate events piling up over time until it’s too late..” Hakai Magazine

“A haunting introduction to both a beautiful little bird and the concept of human-induced extinction. . . . A remarkably moving meditation on extinction and an impassioned call for conservation.” Booklist

Activities

Pau: The Last Song of Kauaʻi ʻōʻō

Worksheet coming soon

Worksheet coming soon

Worksheet coming soon