Petroglyph Press Specials

Petroglyph man holding branch. News & Specials

~~NEW PRODUCT~~

New edition of Stars Over Hawaii! $19.95

Iwa; The Hawaiian Legend by Detrich Varez

Practical Folk Medicine of Hawaii by Likeke McBride
HONORABLE MENTION in the 2015 Po'okela Awards!

From Petroglyph Press comes blank books with island design covers

Don't let lines rule your life! These blank books are perfect for freeing your creativity. Write free of lines, sketch, turn them into a photo-album or scrap-book; these books have no limits! Nine island designs offer range of cover choices, for just $5.95.

The Return of a Classic:
Plants of Hawai'i—How to Grow Them

Petroglyph Press announces the release of an updated edition of Fortunato Teho's gardening classic, Plants of Hawai'i—How To Grow Them. First published in 1971, the late Mr. Teho's gardening guide sold over 50,000 copies before going out of print in the 1990s. The general gardening know–how shared by Fortunato Teho remains as relevant today as when he first compiled it almost 50 years ago. This book was a "home gardener's bible" for many years, and out of respect for its status as a Hawaiian classic it has been reprinted with few changes to the original content and style. New information concerning diseases and pests has been added. A section discussing currently recommended, more environmentally friendly pest control practices, is provided as an alternative to pesticides. Color photos by award winning photographer Jack Jeffrey have been included to enhance the reader's experience.

A proponent of sustainable farming and an advocate of backyard gardening, Fortunato Teho would likely approve of these changes. For over a quarter century Teho was one of the most influential gardening experts in Hawaii. His gardening column, radio and TV broadcasts were avidly followed by plant lovers throughout the state from the late 1940s until his passing in 1986. Teho was the first naturalized Filipino–American citizen in Hawaii; the first Filipino graduate of the University of Hawaii; a graduate of Mid–Pacific Institute and their Man of the Year; and a winner of many awards for public service and garden writing. His granddaughter, Corinne Villa–Riese and her husband, Ted Riese contributed to the editing and proofreading of Plants of Hawai'i and are also the co–authors of Fortunato Teho's Hawaii Gardens.

Plants of Hawai'i—How To Grow Them is available at bookstores and garden centers throughout Hawai'i at a price of $17.95. Contact Petroglyph Press at 160 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo, HI 96720, PetroglyphPress@hawaiiantel.net or toll free at 1–888–666–8644. Also available at Amazon.com.
Black & White Night 2012: Petroglyph Press Celebrates 50 Years of Aloha!

Friday, November 2nd
5:00–9:00 pm

Join us for Black & White Night in downtown Hilo as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Petroglyph Press!

In 1962, Elvis sang and danced in Blue Hawaii, Don Ho was singing "Tiny Bubbles," and the Reed family celebrated the opening of Petroglyph Press, Ltd. on the corner of Haili and Kino'ole Streets in downtown Hilo. They had moved to Hilo in 1958 when Stephen took an engineering position with Hilo Sugar and Frances became the children's librarian at Hilo Library. The family enjoyed exploring the vast petroglyph fields on the island of Hawaii, which would inspire the name of their new printing and publishing business. Their son, David, was involved in the business from the start. He assumed ownership and management in 1974 when his parents retired and welcomed his wife, Christine, as a business partner when they married in 1976. The business evolved and expanded in 1985 with the opening of Basically Books. In 1997 the stores moved together into their present location at 160 Kamehameha Avenue facing Hilo Bay.

Over the years, there have been many challenges to overcome including the closure of the sugar companies, the shock of 9/11, the recent housing bust and economic downturn. In addition, many mom and pop stores and family businesses have shuttered their doors due to tough competition from larger, national chains that have opened multiple stores across the island. Perseverance and flexibility have enabled the Reeds to weather the bumps and maintain their reputation of providing excellent service to their community. "Owning a successful small business in Hawaii is not an easy task," says David Reed, president of Petroglyph Press. But Petroglyph Press has managed to survive and thrive, even in tough economic times. "The key to our success has been diversity," says Reed. "We purposely diversified our business to include a print shop, retail bookstore and publishing operation, allowing us to weather through these economic storms. When one side of the business experienced a downturn, the other operations were able to sustain us. Flexibility and quality customer service have also played an important role. Computers and online printing have really revolutionized the printing industry. However, people still need help with design work if they want to create a specialized graphic design or print envelopes. We have the technology in place to assist in these areas. A key advantage to owning a small business is being able to adjust your offerings to meet the current needs of your customers." Petroglyph Press is always looking for more and better ways to offer services to its customers. In order to continue to grow and thrive, the Reeds feel it is important to look forward to the future by embracing new technologies. The recent acquisition of two new color multi–function machines from Xerox Hawaii will greatly expand the printing services offered by Petroglyph Press.

The new Xerox 7556 will also expand the company's publishing operation. In the past, in house printing of books was limited to the book's pages. The printing of the covers was outsourced to a vendor in Honolulu. Now, Petroglyph Press can produce all elements of a book in house, from the initial design work and printing, to the binding and finishing work. Drawing upon decades of experience in publishing and printing Reed will be able to assist customers in bringing their own creative publishing endeavors to fruition, whether it is a family history, a memoir or a collection of favorite recipes.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Petroglyph Press, a party is planned for Black & White Night, Friday, Nov. 2 from 5–9 pm. Everyone is invited to Basically Books and Petroglyph Press at 160 Kamehameha Ave. in downtown Hilo to listen to live music by the Jazztones from 6–7 pm, enjoy refreshments, enter a free drawing and meet artist and author Dietrich Varez, signing his books including Pele & Hi'iaka, and Hina, The Goddess, both published by Petroglyph Press.

Please join us to celebrate 50 Years of Aloha! It has been an honor to do business in Hilo for the past 50 years—we look forward to the next 50!
Petroglyph Press Celebrates 50 Years — And Gets a Write–up in the Newspaper

Petroglyph Press's 50th Anniversary celebration made it into the Hawaii Tribune Herald this week! Click here for the full story!

Be sure to check back for updates on Petroglyph Press's 50th Anniversary party on November 2nd!
Coming Soon from Petroglyph Press: Pele and Hi'iaka: A Tale of Two Sisters by Dietrich Varez

Petroglyph Press is proud to announce our latest project: Pele and Hi'iaka: A Tale of Two Sisters! This new book from local author and artist Dietrich Varez tells the famous story of Pele, goddess of Hawaii's volcanoes, who was driven out of her homeland after a quarrel with her older sister Namakaokaha'i. Namaka was a sea goddess who resented Pele's fiery nature. Pele readied her great double–hulled voyaging canoe Honuaiakea and left Kahiki enroute to Hawaii. She was accompanied by a number of relatives including a shark–god brother who navigated and her youngest sister, Hi'iaka, the heroine of our story.

Arriving at Hawaii, Pele tested all the islands in turn to find a suitable place to settle. She dug with her legendary digging stick, paoa, to find the fire she required. None of the islands seemed to suit her until she reached Hawaii, the largest island. There in the upland region of Kilauea, she found exactly what she longed for. This would be her home. Pele settled into the fiery lava pit of Kilauea, where Hi'iaka's story begins.

Deitrich's retelling of this ancient legend includes 40 new images in the artist's distinct block print style. This will be the second Dietrich Varez book published by Petroglyph Press. (The first is Hina: The Goddess — for a complete listing of Petroglyph Press books, please visit our book list page.)

We expect Pele and Hi'iaka: A Tale of Two Sisters to be ready in the Fall of 2011. Check back for details!
A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands and Hilo Legends Nominated for Ka Palapala Po'okela Awards

Each year the Hawai'i Book Publishers Association honors the finest books published in Hawaii during the previous year with the Ka Palapala Po'okela Awards. These awards enhance the recognition of book publishing as an industry in Hawai'i and support local literacy. The term "Ka Palapala Po'okela" can be translated from Hawaiian to mean "excellent or exemplary manuscript."

This year, two of Petroglyph Press's books have been nominated for Ka Palapala Po'okela Awards! A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands has been nominated for Nonfiction, and Hilo Legends for Hawaiian Culture. Congratulations to all the nominees! The winners will be announced on April 30^th.
Petroglyph Press Presents New Edition of A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands

This Fall, Petroglyph Press is proud to present a new revised and expanded edition of our most popular book, A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands! In this updated edition the reader is invited even further into Hawaii's riveting history. In addition to the information included in previous editions—from the first human landfall in Hawaii through the sovereignty movement of the late 1990's–A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands now includes the momentous modern events that focused worldwide attention on the 50th state as it celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Most notable of these was the historic election of Hawaii–born Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency.

This colorful history, written in the informal style that students found so appealing in author Dr. Barnes' classes, comes to life through interesting anecdotes and compelling images. Always accessible and fascinating, A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands is now even better! I remains the perfect book for anyone looking for an overview of Hawaiian history.
Petroglyph Press Presents New Edition of
Hina, The Goddess
by Dietrich Varez!

This Spring, Petroglyph Press presents a new edition of its much–loved and (until now) out–of–print book, Hina, The Goddess. Born on a stormy night full of intrigue and mystery, Hina, The Goddess has origins almost as wondrous as the tales of Hina herself. While viewing a performance of the powerful and ancient Kahiko form of hula at the 1986 Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, the audience had an unforgettable experience. A raging storm swept over Hilo. Thunder clapped and lightning struck, plunging the entire town of Hilo, including the festival, into utter darkness. Many wondered if it was mere coincidence that the evening's events included a compulsory chant for the wahine which spoke of Hina and the gourd calabash in which she captured three windstorms. Known for her forceful ways and power over the physical world, Hina is not to be taken lightly. One halau took this sign from the heavens so seriously that they withdrew from the competition. Dietrich Varez was so struck by this incident and the power of the chant, he was inspired to create the first of the block prints appearing in Hina, The Goddess picturing Hina with her calabash. As his interest was piqued, he went on to delve further into the mythology of Hina in her many forms. From his research, he was inspired to create a series of block prints representing the many amazing and varied tales associated with Hina.

Petroglyph Press is proud to present this culmination of experience, imagination and talent so vividly portrayed in Varez's signature style block prints and corresponding legends. We believe you too will feel the presence of the goddess Hina as you experience Hina, The Goddess for yourself.
Petroglyph Press Presents New Revised Edition of Hilo Legends!

This Spring, Petroglyph Press presents a new edition of our bestselling book, Hilo Legends! In this classic collection, the charming legends associated with landmarks around the town of Hilo on the Island of Hawaii are retold in words and pictures by author Frances Reed and illustrator Jan Moon. This new, revised edition features two new stories about King Kamehameha. "The Story of the Naha Stone," tells the legendary tale of Kamehameha's connection to the historic Hilo relic that can be visited in front of the Hilo Public Library. "The Law of the Splintered Paddle" explores a pivotal historical event on the coast south of Hilo that resulted in Kamehameha proclaiming the Hawaiian Kingdom's first written law, which become a model for the protection of human rights during times of war and upheaval.

Hilo Legends also includes all the old favorites, like "How Hilo Got Its Name," "The Story of Coconut Island" and the Maui and Hina legends centering on Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots. These ancient stories celebrating the history and landmarks of Hilo will continue to entertain and enlighten for generations to come!

This edition of Hilo Legends also features a lovely new cover design by Jan Moon.
New Book Distributed by Petroglyph Press — Endangered Plants and Threatened Ecosystems on the Island of Hawaii

Petroglyph Press is managing distribution for the fascinating new ecological book Endangered Plants and Threatened Ecosystems on the Island of Hawaii. This full color 64 page volume, printed by Hilo Bay Printing, is co–authored by UHH Geography and Environmental Studies professor James Juvik along with recent UHH Geography graduates John Delay and Kealoha Kinney. Other book co–authors include UH Manoa Botany Professor Mark Merlin, Hilo state forester Lyman Perry and Big Island ecologist Mick Castello.

This book project is the outgrowth of efforts by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the State Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) to involve members of the Big Island's hunting community and its environmentalists in co–operative efforts to improve understanding and strengthen conservation of the island's unique and endangered native plant resources. The book includes chapters on the environmental factors controlling ecosystem distribution, current conservation efforts, endangered species laws and policies, and a field guide to selected endangered plant species, with ethno–botanical uses. Many full–photographs and maps accompany the text. Readers will also find information on access to public hiking areas on the Big Island where native ecosystems thrive.

At Petroglyph Press we are excited to be a part of this important project. Stop by our retail store, Basically Books at 160 Kamehameha Ave., and check out Endangered Plants and Threatened Ecosystems on the Island of Hawaii! For more information, please contact us.
Happy 45th Anniversary to Petroglyph Press!

1962 was an exciting and eventful year. It saw The Beatles' arrival on the music scene, the release of the first James Bond movie, and the opening of Petroglyph Press in Hilo, Hawaii!

September 2nd marked the 45th Anniversary of Petroglyph Press, which has been printing, copying, and publishing in Hilo since 1962! To celebrate this landmark event, Basically Books hosted a spectacular party, which included refreshments, music by local musician Joe Marquand, and a prize drawing. The afternoon began with speech by Christine Reed, one of the owners of Petroglyph Press, and a traditional Hawaiian blessing presented by Hollis Kiwalao Taylor. When these special presentations had been concluded, the doors opened and the party began!

Guests enjoyed a beautiful anniversary cake specially prepared by Petroglyph Press employee Krisy McKown, as well as other snacks. Petroglyph Press held a drawing for 45 prizes, including a brand new globe! Guests included Mr. and Mrs. Lau, astronomy professor and author Richard Crowe, and even the Travelocity Gnome!

The original owners of Petroglyph Press, the late Stephen and Frances Reed , arrived on the Big Island in 1958. Through Frances' work as Librarian at Hilo Public Library, the Reeds became aware of the demand for Hawaiian books that had gone out of print. Sparked by their desire to resurrect these valuable and popular books, they decided to enter the publishing business. As part of their interest in Hawaii, they also studied with fascination the abundance of petroglyphs on the Big Island of Hawaii. They decided to name their new company Petroglyph Press, in honor of this ancient Hawaiian form of graphic communication. And so, in September of 1962, Petroglyph Press was born.

Today, Petroglyph Press remains the only publisher in the state of Hawaii that can claim its products are entirely "made in Hawaii." From design and composition through binding and distribution, Petroglyph Press creates books about Hawaii in its downtown Hilo facility. Petroglyph Press also remains a family businessin 1974 Stephen and Frances' son, David, assumed management of the business. David's wife Christine became his business partner in 1976 when they were married. David and Christine have grown the Press into a multi-faceted operation at 160 Kamehameha Avenue in downtown Hilo. Their firm includes Basically Books, which offers Hawaiiana books, maps, and gifts. Petroglyph Press is still going strong, with 15 books in print as well as copy, fax, and printing services available at its location in the back of Basically Books.

Mahalo to all of our friends in Hilo for making our 45th Anniversary special, and for all the wonderful memories that the past 45 years have brought. Let's make the next 45 just as great!