SHELL SONG: A Book Reading & Shell Activities w/ Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson

Friday, September 26, 2025
5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Atrium of Hawaiian Hall
$15 General Admission, Free for Museum Members

Based on the author’s true family history, Shell Song is a picture book about Japanese American incarceration in Hawai‘i during World War II and is a moving tribute to the importance of finding and collecting pieces of hope, big or small, even in the darkest of times.

Join us for a live book reading with author Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, see rare shells in Bishop Museum’s Malacology collection, participate in a shell stamping activity, and hang out with malacologists and Hawai‘i Malacological Society members to learn how to identify rare shells – guests are encouraged to bring your own shells to I.D. with experts!

The Pūpū Ola: Kāhuli Captive Rearing Research Center will also be open to view live rare native snails reared at Bishop Museum.

Book Synopsis
A grandfather loved music, seashells, and the sound of the ocean in Hawai‘i. But when war came, there was no more music. And in this war, there was no kindness for anyone who looked Japanese. Taken to an island prison, the grandfather passed many long, lonely days away from his family searching for tiny seashells. He collected the shells, labelled them, and saved them with care. His collection has been passed down to his children and grandchildren, and now, author-illustrator Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson tells the story of her grandfather and his shells.

About the Author
Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson is a Japanese American author-illustrator who grew up in both America and Japan. She now lives in California in a house filled with three generations of family, two languages, and countless books and art supplies. She’s the author-illustrator of The Mochi Makers and Shell Song. Visit her at SharonFJ.com.

Mahalo nui to our community partners:
Honouliuli National Historic Site
Hawai‘i Malacological Society

This program is part of a year-long series marking the ten-year anniversary after Hawaii’s largest and longest-run WWII POW and incarceration camp was designated as a National Park, per the Proclamation, Honouliuli is a “powerful reminder of the need to protect civil liberties in times of conflict… It is a place to reflect on wartime experiences and recommit ourselves to the pursuit of freedom and justice.” Go here to learn more.

** Your admission fee will go to support research and educational programs at Bishop Museum and includes access to Hawaiian Hall and Science Adventure Center.