Page 6 - MidWeek Central - Nov 2, 2022

6 NOVEMBER 2, 2022
Mililani Resident Vera Arita Authors Her Fifth Children’s Book
BY ELLISE KAKAZU
children’s book author.
“I dedicated my first book (All Around the Is- lands) to my parents, Bolo and Eileen Soneda, be- cause my dad was very ill and I promised him that I would write a book some- day,” explains Arita. “In 2006, my brother, Mike, had a seizure and hit his head very hard and became
Mānoa, where she works with students wanting to become special education teachers.
thought I could never do,” she notes.
Turning pain into pages, Mililani resident Vera Arita often uses unfortunate cir- cumstances as motivation to create children’s books that educate and entertain.
With everything she’s doing, Arita shared her fa- vorite quote is, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Arita’s books can be found online at mutualpub- lishing.com and stores like Barnes & Noble and da Shop: books + curiosities in Kaimukī.
Her most recent book Alohasaurus, which is in- spired by her late brother who was born with mental challenges, is a prime ex- ample.
brain-damaged.”
Arita adds, “While he
“I am so thankful to God for His blessings and em- powering me to do things I
For more information on the Mililani author and her work, email aritaohana@ gmail.com.
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“Alohasaurus is really a story that I think many peo- ple can relate to,” says Ar- ita. “It’s about a dinosaur who has no friends because he looks different and he sounds different. In many ways, it’s like my brother Mike (Soneda) who, so- cially, was ‘different.’”
was in an extended coma, I promised to write anoth- er book and dedicate it to him. Thus, Can You Catch a Coqui Frog? was written. So, it seems during diffi- cult family times, I was in- spired to write.”
According to Arita, who is a retired special educa- tion teacher, the lesson of accepting and embracing others’ unique qualities should be taught to all kei- ki.
Author Vera Arita (left) recently held a book signing for her latest release, Alohasaurus, and her 91-year-old mother, Eileen Soneda, came to show support. PHOTO COURTESY VERA ARITA
Whether she is writing or teaching, Arita seems to have a knack at seeing the positive in every situation.
“There is a huge push in all schools across the nation for social emotion- al learning and teaching character education, which Alohasaurus is all about,” she says. “My dream is to see Alohasaurus in every school library because the message is so important.”
And she is certainly practicing what her parents have preached.
Showing compassion for those who are different is
Though Arita techni- cally retired in 2016, she is able to perpetuate her
Arita’s books are full of colorful lessons, but she revealed that dark times pushed her to become a
Arita also spends her time as a field instructor at University of Hawaiʻi at
something she has done throughout her life, as she taught special education for more than 32 years.
legacy and love for teach- ing through her books: All Around the Islands, Can You Catch a Coqui Frog?, Animals Sing Aloha, Al- phabet Hukilau and Aloha- saurus.
“Our parents instilled in us to serve others,” she notes.
“I found it very re- warding to work with the students along with their parents to see gains in com- munication, social, cogni- tive and motor skills,” re- calls Arita.
“I reflect on what stories schools in Hawaiʻi could benefit from,” says Arita.
She is a member of Lee- ward Community Church, Alpha Delta Kappa Sorori- ty-ETA Chapter and Haneji Club (part of the Hawai‘i United Okinawa Associ- ation), and she is a neigh- borhood watch captain.
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