Kai and Hōkū are cousins who live on the Big Island.
Their moms are sisters. They’ve spent their entire lives playing together, going to the beach together, and are best friends. Even when they’re in separate classes at school, they always talk at lunch and recess. Sometimes, they trade lunches when Hoku’s mom packs her famous musubi. No one makes musubi like Kai’s Auntie! Whenever Kai or Hōkū has a problem, the other one is there to help.
At the end of the last school year, things changed.
Kai and Hōkū were supposed to go to visit their other cousin over Spring Break, but their moms canceled the trip. All of a sudden, they weren’t allowed to hang out on the weekends.
Then school was canceled! At first, they were super excited, no school—this must be what their cousin on the mainland meant when she talked about snow days. But then they had to start taking classes on the computer. It was really hard for them both.
And they noticed that their families were really worried and started talking about “Coronavirus”, “COVID” and “COVID-19”. What was this new “Coronavirus” and why did it mean Kai and Hōkū couldn’t do all the things they loved, like visiting each other, seeing Tūtū, and going to school and seeing their friends?
One day, Hōkū’s mom gave her a mask to wear for when they went to the store.
Once Hōkū put the mask on, she was no longer just a little girl, but a Keiki Hero. The mask gave her the power to protect herself, her family and her friends from Coronavirus.
When Hōkū got home, she came across a bird that began speaking to her.
The bird was Ola. She was a wise bird, a kumu, who started to share secrets of how to be a Keiki Hero with Hōkū.
Hōkū was so excited about her new powers and her new friend Ola.
She just had to share these new powers with Kai, so she asked her mom to help her find a mask for Kai. They dropped the mask off at Kai’s home and once Kai put on his mask, he also became a Keiki Hero!