Imagination on display

LIHUE — For Via Javinar, the hardest part about illustrating a scene from “Thumbelina” was drawing over 20 trees in the forest.

“It took a lot of weeks to finish,” she said.

Drawing is the fourth grader at Wilcox Elementary School’s favorite pastime.

“I like drawing animals, especially horses,” she said.

Javinar’s illustration was one of 14 storybook recreations drawn by Wilcox students on display on the wall of the children’s section at the Lihue Public Library.

Each student was tasked with illustrating a scene from the children’s book series, “The Land of Stories,” which tells fairy tales in a modern way.

Carolyn Larson, library branch manager, said she wanted the art to depict something to do with books, reading or writing.

“It was serendipitous that some of the art students were reading ‘The Land of Stories,’ and liked it,” she said. “So everything came together magically.”

Students illustrated scenes as Christy Nii, art teacher, read excerpts.

The exhibit premiered at the library Monday evening and was a collaborative effort between Larson and Nii.

“We’ve been wanting to have art displays on the walls for a while, so I asked the children’s librarian to get in touch with the elementary school,” Larson said.

It’s the first time in about 10 years local children’s art is displayed on the walls, Larson said. She hopes to have a different exhibit every three months of the school year.

Monday’s exhibit took about two months to complete.

It was an extra art class for the fourth and fifth graders, who had to give up their recess. But Javinar said missing recess was worth seeing her art on the wall.

Khristine Pasion, Wilcox fourth grader, agreed. Pasion drew the gingerbread house from “Hansel and Gretel.” It was the hardest part of her project, she said.

Monday was the first time Pasion’s mother, Chita, saw her daughter’s work.

“She’s always drawing,” she said. “This is what she was born to do.”