Written by Michael Smith
Illustrated by Gayle Garner Roski

Akela is excited to embark on his first sailing canoe voyage with his wise Grandfather so they can trade with faraway neighboring islands. But their long journey across the open Pacific Ocean is risky, facing storms and sharks and fearing hunger or getting lost. Grandfather teaches young Akela how to pilot a trackless sea by using ancient methods of navigation based on observing natural signs—the stars, the sun, the ocean swells, and the birds. Set in the 1500s, Earthwaves reveals the fascinating and little-known culture of the Pacific Islander seafarers, whose wayfinding techniques began thousands of years ago.

Earthwaves