Bookshelf: Identifying Marianas birds for young readers

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Hoben, a young boy, searches for the elusive Åga, or Mariana crow. With the help of his Uncle Gatbo, Hoben discovers that identifying the island’s birds requires careful observation and curiosity.

Through storytelling and colorful illustrations, Emily Louina Cook’s newly released book, “Is That an Åga?” introduces young readers to the wildlife of the Marianas while encouraging a deeper connection to the natural world and the importance of conservation.

The University of Guam Press launched “Is That an Åga” on Oct. 17.

Illustrated by Joanne F. Almajose, “It Than Åga” was UOG’s first children’s board book.

The book was inspired by Cook’s work in environmental education and her interest in ecological literacy. As part of her graduate degree, she developed an avian ecological literacy curriculum for an elementary school on Rota, focused on the Åga.

During that process, Cook recognized a lack of children’s picture books that focus on the birds of the Marianas.

From there, she set out to create children’s picture books that educate about the Mariana Islands and their environment.

Almajose, a Guam-born artist and University of Guam alumna, brings the birds and landscapes of the Marianas to life through her artwork.

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