Call It Courage

Maftu was afraid of the sea. It had taken his mother when he was a baby, and it seemed to him that the sea gods sought vengeance at having been cheated of Mafatu. So, though he was the son of the Great Chief of Hikueru, a race of Polynesians who worshipped courage, and he was named Stout Heart, he feared and avoided the sea, till everyone branded him a coward. When he could no longer bear their taunts and jibes, he determined to conquer that fear or be conquered-- so he went off in his canoe, alone except for his little dog and pet albatross. A storm gave him his first challenge. Then days on a desert island found him resourceful beyond his own expectation. This is the story of how his courage grew and how he finally returned home. This show more is a legend. It happened many years ago, but even today the people of Hikueru sing this story and tell it over their evening fires. show less

I remember reading this book years ago for school. Our copy doesn’t have a particularly inspiring cover, so I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not, but as soon as I got into it, I realized the cover was misleading. I loved it!

More recently, when my siblings wanted me to read a book to them one day, we chose this one…and ended up finishing it the same day. This is a gripping read! I love the way it showcases history and how people lived in the past, while also illustrating what it means to be courageous and push yourself outside your comfort zone.

This isn’t an easy story, in some ways—Mafatu faced some very difficult circumstances, and then there are (vague) allusions to horrific worship practices that were not uncommon back show more then. There are also quite a few mentions of Polynesian gods, as this book is based on a legend that was formed long before any Christian missionaries got to the area.

Overall, though, it’s a great book. It has become a family favorite, one of those books that if someone mentions the title, everyone’s eyes light up. “Yes, that one!”. In my opinion, everyone should read this at least once in their lives. It’s a short, sharp, impactful story, and I’m grateful my mom introduced me to it when I was a child. show less

Mafatu grows up on the Polynesian island of Hakaeru, where the people worship courage. The only problem, is he's a huge scaredy-cat of the ocean ever since he and his mother went out in a boat and she died in a storm while bringing him to safety. Sick of the jeers of the others, he runs off in a canoe determined to find his courage.

This slight novel is told as a fable and survival story. The noble savage and cannibals, the moralistic pat-me-on-the-head narrator were irritating to me as an adult, 21st-century reader, though I realize both were of its time (and, in fact, in portrayal of another culture a bit ahead of its time). I'm not a huge reader of survival narratives, and as an adult it was really clear to me that Mafatu really was show more brave, he just had to find it out for himself. So this was just an okay read for me. show less

A short classic I never read until now. Reminded me a lot of Island of the Blue Dolphins– in that there’s a part where the boy has to survive alone on an island with just his dog, making all the things he needs- clothing from plants, weapons, shelter, etc. But otherwise quite different. About a boy who lives on a Polynesian island, where everyone makes their living on the sea. But he is afraid of it, since a traumatic incident where his mother died and he himself nearly drowned as a small child. He stays on land and perfects other skills: making nets, spearpoints, etc. The other boys mock him and the adults think he won’t amount to much. One day he just can’t stand it anymore and gritting his teeth, shoves his canoe out into the show more ocean alone. In the face of a storm, no less. With just his dog and a pet albatross following along. He barely makes it to the next island where has to do everything on his own, plus avoid the dangers of sharks, wrestle an octopus, find enough food -including hunting wild pigs- and start a fire from nothing. When he notices another island in the distance has smoke rising, and finds what appears to be an altar on the mountaintop (his island has a peak in the center, unlike the very flat one he came from) he fears that there are cannibals nearby who would use him in their terrible sacrifices. His main goal is to build a canoe so he can get back home, and hear the praise of his family and peers, when they see the proof of his bravery. He faces many challenges and overcomes all in the end, not without plenty of sweat and tears and a few injuries though. Darn good story. show less

Mafatu is afraid of the ocean because he almost drowned when he was a boy. But in his culture, fear is scorned and laughed at. Mafatu feels that he must redeem his good name and prove that he is not afraid anymore. He climbs in a boat and goes on a voyage, but he soon finds himself shipwrecked on an apparently-deserted island. There, he keeps himself alive by making all of his own tools, weapons, and a new canoe. He battles a tiger shark, an octopus, and a boar. He defies the cannibals when they return to their island. But will he be able to return home? This was a cute book, and I enjoyed the adventure - though it's very short and all the adventure is packed in at a very unrealistic pace. Regardless, I really enjoyed the couple of show more hours I spent with it. I think a young reader might find this book fun. It's appropriate for someone reading at maybe the 3rd grade level. show less

Very rich story. Interesting descriptions of making the materials of a Polynesian life - weapons, tools, canoe, cloth, fire... The story is very simple, and the end is pretty much obvious from the start - though I wasn't sure the dog would make it through. Nice, and interesting. I may want to reread it sometime - though it's a very thin book, wouldn't be hard to memorize even.

I had read this title a few years ago & refreshed it in my mind with the book on CD. It is an effective fable, set in a mythical Polynesia with the 10-year-old Mafatu at its center. The elevated language and the brief simplicity of this moral tale makes for an inspiring, old-fashioned good read for a variety of readers. Any reader might enjoy the excitement of this coming-of-age adventure wherein the young protagonist, frightened of the sea since it took his mother years ago, braves the elements, survives near starvation, thirst, solitude alleviated only by his beloved dog & a tame albatross. He learns to rely on the “womanly” skills he developed while ostracized, as well as patiently taking charge of his means of escape by whetting show more stone into knives & using them to build a canoe & make a mast and sail, and eventually returning home with a necklace of boar’s teeth emphasizing his apparent triumph.

Because of its age, the book employs outdated conventions like the simplistic portrayal of a complex cultures as Rousseauian noble savages or as bloodthirsty black savages.

Nonetheless, I was just thinking that I needed to start reading my way through the Newbery winners of the past and am pleased to see that this is the one from 1941. show less