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1997 was the International Year of the Reef and the 25th Anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. This book is a contribution to the celebration of the coral reef, and especially the children of the South Pacific--who will inherit the reef. Written by: Katherine Orr, Nancy Daschbach and Allen Tom Illustrated by: Katherine Orr, Nancy Daschbach and Margaret Barnaby Samoan translation: Punipuao Lagai-Nagalapadi Layout and design by: Nancy Daschbach Adapted from books by Katherine Orr |
The blend of the Hawaiian and Samoan tapa design illustrates the underlying theme of this book: that the vast distances between islands in the Pacific are bridged by the cultures of the people and the natural resources of the coral reef. The Polynesian people developed in the world of the coral reef. Their appreciation of the life found in the reef ecosystem comes from millennia of dependence on the reef for their livelihood.