I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
Ohana Means Family is a beautiful audio book story vert much in the style of The House That Jack Built but as a hawaiian version of making poi for a luau in hawaii.
The audio book version was great to listen to with accompanied sound effects of the busy preparation of getting ready for the hawaiian celebratory Ohana luau with musical accompaniment that really gets you in the vibes of the hawaiian culture. This is a great book to share with children to teach them of hawaiian culture and celebrations.

Ohana means family and family means no one is left behind or forgotten. We can thank Lilo and Stitch for the general population knowing the word ohana. This book is a beautiful celebration of a Hawaiian family and their Luau as told in a ‘the old lady who swallowed a fly’ type story.

This is a very sweet children's book about a family party. The narration is perfect and the production elements are wonderful and create a really immersive experience.

As non-Hawaiian speakers, my son and I didn't know what several of the words referred to and since it was an audiobook, there were no picture clues to help us understand. There is a glossary at the wnd which explains the terms we were unfamiliar with and so we listened to the book a second time and enjoyed it a lot more.

I think with audiobooks, it is good to have the glossary first, as this will help facilitate the listener's understanding of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute book. I read this with my 6-year-old twins and they loved it. About halfway through they picked up on the repeating pattern and by the end was trying to say the words along with the book. I would love to own a physical copy of this so we could see how to pronounce the words and see the pictures that go along with the pictures. They were definitely interested in the story and so was I. We will definitely buy a copy when this is released.

I have read this book to my Kindergartners and First graders. They love the repeated lines, rhyme, illustrations and story. They might love the audiobook more!

This audiobook incorporates subtle background sounds that help create a tropical feel and really adds depth to the words. Students will return to this over and over.

The additional information about poi, taro and the cultural significance behind the food was really interesting.

Ohana Means Family is a great book for units on family, farming, food, cultures, Hawaii, AAPI, poetry and so much more.

The audio narration of this picture book will be best utilized as an aid for reading along with the book. On its own and without the pictures, some of the vocabulary taught won’t make sense since you can’t visualize with it.

It’s a wonderful idea and the narrator has a calm and warm voice. This is perfect to teach pronunciation of the Hawaiian words and the background rain and music adds a special level of detail.

We loved the story and the narrator did a great job. I listened to the audiobook, so it was hard to get the full idea of the book. We will go look for the book version and read that as a family.

I very much appreciate the background and love the Hawaiian information and word descriptions at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the audio arrangers who allowed me and my family to receive a free audio copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Spotlight Audio, Live Oak Media for providing me with the audiobook of Ohana Means Family, a picture book by Ilima Loomis and illustrated by Kenard Pak.

The book taught me about taro, a staple of the Hawaiian diet and how it is farmed and prepared. I think the audiobook will be most enjoyed while reading along with the picture book so the reader can also enjoy the illustrations as well as the music the audiobook includes. All three narrators are Hawaiian, including the author.

If you want to learn more about Hawai'i and its culture, I recommend picking up Ohana Means Family.

Audiobook review

This was cute, quick listen. It was very descriptive, even including a history lesson at the end, and it would be great to listen along while you read the book.

I liked that there was music playing because that really made me feel like I was in Hawaii.

The narrators did a great job.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ilima Loomis for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for Ohana Means Family.

I always like to see what picture books are out nowadays. I don’t know why I requested the audiobook. I didn’t get to see the pictures, but the writing was lovely and I’m glad it included Hawaiian words as well. I come from a Polynesian family who used to live in Hawaii. So I love Hawaiian culture. I love to see more stories about Polynesian culture. It’s such a beautiful culture and I’m not sure if people really know a lot about it. I definitely need to get this picture book.

I listened to this on audio. I enjoyed the background noises such as water, rain, music, anf voices. Though I thought I was missing something by not seeing the images. The rhythm and repetition of the book is great for young readers. The narrator was engaging and expressive. The information at the end of the book is helpful for adults to answer kids questions.

A beautiful book about family in Hawaii. Narration and sound effects were absolutely wonderful. The story was a little dry, but I loved the background information and learning about Hawaiian culture.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Version approved via NetGalley was the audio version; approximately 12 minutes.

The audio was well done and included music. I think children would enjoy reading the book along with listening to the audio. (Although I did not review the illustrated version, so I can't comment regarding the graphics.)

Words were repeated often and perfect for early readers. Reminded me of "the woman who swallowed a fly ... "

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audio in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Ilima Loomis (author) and to Lois Leinani Whitney, Hokuao Pellegrino and Ilima Loomis (narrators) and also to the Publisher Spotlight Audio, Live Oaks Media.

This had a very lovely cadence and message but without the actual book pages a lot of the beauty doesn’t translate to a child. My 5 year old daughter told me “this is kinda boring” about half way through and I think with the actual book she would have loved it!
We’ve been to Hawaii twice and she talks about it all the time which was why I thought she’d love this. The notes at the end were really interesting and I enjoyed that information so much!

Definitely a great option as a physical book!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher Spotlight Audio for the alc in exchange for an honest review!

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