"Maui and the Sun" is a retold version of one of many Polynesian legends about the trickster hero Maui. The story tells of how a long time ago, the hours of daylight in a day were extremely short. No one could fish or hunt properly because the sun would race across the sky each day so he could get back to bed. One day, when Maui and his brothers were out fishing and the sky got dark, Maui expressed how unfair the whole situation was, and how they should all teach the sun a lesson for being so lazy. He convinces his brothers and the people of a nearby village to help him in his plan, and all of them agree that they've had enough of the sun's laziness. They all begin to make different kinds of ropes out of flax, and when they finish, Maui and his brothers take the rope and travel by night to the sun's home. When they get to the huge pit that the sun calls a home, the men make a large net that they cast over the opening of the sun's home, as well as a large clay wall and four straw huts to hide in while they wait for the sun to wake up. When the sun wakes up and begins to rise into the sky, Maui and his brothers trap the sun with their net. Maui then jumps and attacks the sun with his enchanted weapon, which results in the sun crying out in pain and revealing his true name, "Tama nui te Ra." This slip up gives Maui the power to make the sun move slowly through the sky, since he's the only one to know the sun's secret name. Everyone is then able to fish and hunt as much as they please, but when the sun doesn't leave the sky for months, people are tired and hot. The sun then tricks Maui by suddenly setting, which enrages Maui. He chases after the sun, who flees to the west, but Maui ties a rope around the sun and attaches the other end of the rope to the moon. This resulted the normal sun and moon cycle we're used to today. I found this story extremely interesting, since I didn't know much about Polynesian culture outside of the movie "Moana," which obviously isn't entirely accurate. The art in the book is very beautiful, and obviously takes inspiration from the Maori culture that the author/illustrator is a part of. Maui and his brothers all have face tattoos that symbolize their geneology and social rank, as explained in a note at the end of the book. The same note also explains that the fishing net pattern that is used in the story and illustrations is based on certain carvings seen on the doors of Maori meetinghouses found in New Zealand. It's nice to see that the author/illustrator took so much care in the cultural aspects of this book, as there are so many details that Maori people would be able to recognize if they read the book, and that people like me, who know next to nothing about the culture, can learn about. ( )

Hawaiian folklore is, to me, one of the most interesting forms of all. The characters are far different from your average european folktale. Maui is pompous but strong and cunning. In the end he accomplishes the unthinkable.

When Tama nui te Ra (the Sun) travels too swiftly across the heavens in this Maori myth, resulting in days that are far shorter than they ought to be, Maui and his older brothers set out to capture him, and force him to slow down. Equipped with strong flax ropes made by all the people of the village, the trickster and his brothers lie in wait, at the mouth of the sun's sleeping pit. But though they succeed in capturing the sun, the result is not quite what they had hoped for, with long scorching days that make life difficult for all. Finally, in exasperation, Maori takes his rope, and ties the sun and moon together...

This pourquoi tale from the indigenous people of New Zealand - which explains the movement of both sun and moon, and their relationship to one another - has been retold a number of times, and can also be found in other Polynesian traditions. Suelyn Ching Tune's How Maui Slowed the Sun, for instance, comes from Hawaii. Gavin Bishop, himself part Maori, provides a brief afterword explaining his source for this tale. His brightly colored ink and watercolor illustrations will grab young readers' attention, and his narrative will keep it. A nice addition to any folklore shelf! ( )

"Maui and the Sun" by Gavin Bishop retells the same story of Maui and his capture of the sun. However, this version does have some differences that can make it more engaging and relateable for children. For example, Maui has the help of his brothers in this version and together they work hard to capture the sun. He also is a much more likeable character than in "The Surprising Things Maui Did" where he is concieved as lazy. In this story, Maui is a strong, hard working man who conquers the sun for his people.

The book has engaging pictures that give the story Hawaiian perspective in a way that the other stories about Maui don't. The fact that his brothers are more influential characters also makes this book relateable for students as many of them may have brothers who help them. This book would be great for second or third graders as the language is not too intense but the story goes into more depth than "How Maui Saved the Sun."