"Once upon a time,"a story begins, "there were two young girls.  Leslie was spunky and good at reading and writing.  Kathy was a little shy and artistic." Now, in most modern stories the girls would grow up, go their separate ways, work, marry, move to different cities and never hear from one another again. But that's not the case with this tale.... Read more>

Hayashi, a Honolulu district court judge by day, has found something of a second career.  She spends many a Saturday, evening, even lunch hour, bringing lessons in writing fables to children and teachers.  Bishop, a Christian education coordinator at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Phoenix, Ariz., also expanded her role as an educator, giving readings, talking about art and the mechanics of creating a book. The moral of the story: Believe in yourself and share what you know.... Read more>

Hawaiian flora and fauna interact with each other in stories meant to teach children the potential consequences of bad moral choices and the rightness of simple virtues. Part of the charm of her stories stems from the zoological homework Hayashi has done. The tales are adorned with the very real quirks of Hawaii wildlife - colorfully illustrated by Hayashi's lifelong best friend Kathleen Wong Bishop - which are woven into the story, teaching kids a bit about island plants and animals along the way. Their simple "do-unto-others" wisdoms have earned the books notice. Both have won awards from the Hawai'i Book Publishers Association for excellence in children's books.... Read more>