Bookshelf: Guam author explores fishing and intergenerational lessons in 'The Great Peskadot'

By Ron Rocky Coloma

The opening scene of “The Great Peskadot” is quiet. A child stands beside her grandfather, learning to fish. There is no rush to catch something, no trophy moment.

For author Cabrini Cruz Palomo, that stillness reflects lessons she absorbed long before she thought about writing a children’s book.

“It’s really a culmination of experiences from all stages in my life, especially around fishing, where I always hear my elders say to take only what you need,” Palomo said.

One memory in particular shaped the heart of the story. Palomo recalled her grandmother describing how elders once set up a talaya net in trees to catch fanihi, or fruit bats, when they were plentiful.

“It was tempting to keep them all, but her elders always told her to take only what they needed and let the rest go,” she said. “Seeing how rare fanihi are now makes that lesson even more powerful. It reminds me that conservation isn’t something new to us. It’s something our culture has always practiced.”

That idea of restraint and care runs throughout the book, which follows Maria and her grandfather, Papa David, as fishing becomes a way to pass down values without formal lectures. Palomo said fishing offered a natural entry point for children on Guam.

“I think fishing is a normal part of a kid’s life on Guam, whether you’re the one fishing, helping cook, or enjoying it at a family gathering,” she said. “Teaching CHamoru values through fishing lets kids see them in action, in something familiar they can understand and apply to their everyday lives.”

In the story, becoming a “great peskadot” is less about skill and more about awareness. Palomo said the book pushes back on the idea that achievement must always be visible.

“There’s no need to walk away with a prized fish to feel accomplished,” she said. “Sometimes the real achievement is knowing when enough is enough and having the restraint to stop.”

Although the book is accessible to a wide audience, Palomo was clear about whom she centered.

“First and foremost, this book is for CHamoru children,” she said. “That’s why it’s called ‘The Great Peskadot’ and not ‘The Great Fisherman.’ The language and setting are intentionally an invitation for CHamoru children to feel seen and centered.”

The relationship between Maria and her grandfather anchors the story. Palomo said it was the easiest dynamic to write because it reflects her own life.

“My relationship with my grandparents is my greatest treasure and truly the most important relationship in my life,” she said.

Place also plays a central role. Set in Inalåhan on Guåhan, the landscape is treated as something living, not decorative.

“Being so proud of a place comes with a responsibility to honor and uphold it,” Palomo said. “It’s not just about describing a setting. It’s about capturing its spirit and its values.”

When readers close the book, Palomo hopes two ideas linger.

“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you have to,” she said. “And take only what you need. These lessons are for life.”

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