“Keila is too cool for school. I painted Keila in ink and gouache.”

“Cassie has positive vibes. I painted Cassie in ink and gouache.”

“This is my interpretation of the classical Okinawan story called “The Legend of the Shisa.” I drew this digitally using Procreate.”

The Legend of the Shisa

Retold by Leicie Tonouchi, Age 14, Hawaii.

A long time ago in Okinawa, Japan, the villagers were partying at the beach when out of nowhere they saw something big—a serpent from the sea!

The serpent began to terrorize the village. One of the villagers looked at the Shisa (Okinawan lion dog) statue and prayed for help and miraculously the Shisa statue became alive! The Shisa battled the serpent and chased it back into the ocean. The villagers cheered as their homes had been saved. When everyone was safe, the Shisa turned back into a statue again. This is why in every home in Okinawa, people have two Shisa statues in each household. A male Shisa with an open mouth to scare away the evil spirits and a female Shisa with a closed mouth to keep in the good energy.