Children’s Book Teaches Children The Value Of Acceptance
The rascal geckos are back in board in the book Gecko One and Gecko Two in Hawai’i.
Illustrated by Jon J. Murakami, whose studio is in Pearl City, it tells the story of two geckos who are total opposites and how they learn to become friends.
Rather than fighting and clashing, they realize their personalities complement each other wonderfully.
Life lessons showcased in the children’s book teach keiki how another person’s differences should be respected and appreciated.
“The lines just hit me,” explained Murakami. “I could totally see what the writer was writing.
“When you see the script, you just envision the type of characters running around.”
Initially, all the geckos look the same, but as the books progresses, each character becomes more and more defined.
“I wanted it where I could entertain the little kids, but at the same time, if you’re an adult, you see all these little nuances you’re not going to catch if you’re a kid,” he added.
The geckos in Gecko One and Gecko Two in Hawai’i are actually reminiscent of Murakami’s first geckos in the series, and like all the other geckos, they do not have names.
“You have tall gecko, skinny gecko, girl gecko, the fat silly one, the grouchy one,” he explained.
He noted that he has been drawing cartoons for a long time and has dabbled in comic strips, books and Local Kine greeting cards.
“I was born in the ’70s,” he said. “We didn’t have Internet, we didn’t have Cartoon Network or computers or video games. I needed to keep myself occupied.
“My parents worked at a bus company, and kids would leave their comic books on the bus. My parents would bring them home, and I used to read Archie (Comics) and Richie Rich.”
Gecko One and Gecko Two in Hawai’i is a 16-page publication.
Those interested in Murakami’s illustrating talent can find him online at facebook.com/jon.j.murakami or at jonjmurakami.bigcartel.com.
To purchase Murakami’s latest book, visit amazon.com.
