The children's storybook Pōmai and Her Papa , which helps children understand Alzheimer's disease, has been adapted into a new animated video . The story follows Pōmai, a young girl learning to support her Papa (grandfather) as he experiences memory loss, offering a gentle, culturally grounded way for families to start conversations about dementia. First released by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2019 and translated into ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in 2025 , the story has reached keiki and caregivers across the islands.
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The animation was developed by Kalilinoe Detwiler, a UH Mānoa PhD candidate in English, with the Hā Kūpuna National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders , housed in the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health . It brings the storybook to life with vibrant visuals, expressive characters and narration voiced by Hā Kūpuna team members.
"We hope the book and video will open conversations between children, parents and kūpuna about dementia in a cultural and age-appropriate way," said Detwiler, who is an Indigenous Nations Poet , Story Knife Fellow and co-principal investigator for the Symphony of Hawaiʻi Seas project . "I enjoy spending time with the characters, imagining their expressions and who they might sit beside in the setting. I also enjoy imagining visual representations to subtle changes in their emotions and understanding of dementia."
The project began in January 2025 and included storyboarding, visual design, background art, voice recording, animation and editing.
"As we create resources for ʻōpio (youth) and caregivers, we recognize there are mediums that best suit the intergenerational households in Hawaiʻi," added Detwiler. "Animation is one of those mediums. It opens possibilities for stories that can be challenging or heavy,"
"The purpose of Hā Kūpuna is to enhance understanding of kūpuna, celebrate their lives, and improve eldercare services," said Shelley Muneoka, Hā Kūpuna program coordinator. "Storybooks and animation help extend this information to new audiences in a meaningful way."
The post Helping kids understand Alzheimer's through animation first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News .
