Call It Courage

Call It Courage

by Armstrong Sperry

Narrated by George Guidall

Unabridged — 2 hours, 20 minutes

Call It Courage

Call It Courage

by Armstrong Sperry

Narrated by George Guidall

Unabridged — 2 hours, 20 minutes

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Overview

Mafatu's name means Stout Heart, but the people of Hikueru call him a coward. He fears the sea and the powerful Sea God Moana because years ago, the powerful tides killed his mother. Such fear is shameful on this island, where the seafaring people revere bravery. But it is especially humiliating for Mafatu, whose father reigns as Great Chief of Hikueru. One day, young Mafatu can no longer stand the jeers and taunts of the braver boys. With his faithful dog, Uri, he steals an outrigger canoe and paddles into the Polynesian sea to conquer his fear. But what awaits Mafatu beyond Hikueru's sunny horizon is more than just courage. It is a dangerous passage that will shipwreck him on an island covered with forbidden idols, cross the path of a tribe of cannibals, and finally strip away his boyhood fears to make him a man. Told with openhearted simplicity, this Newbery Award-winning tale of coming-of-age in early Polynesia possesses a vivid appeal as wide and enduring as the ocean itself.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The New York Times "Whether this author is telling of clipper ships, of the days of the covered wagon, of the South Sea Islands, he writes always with imagination and integrity. Like all hero legends Mafatu's story has a strength and simplicity that appeals to a wide range in age and it is beautifully told. Mr. Sperry's fine drawings have the same spirit of adventure as the story and enhance the feeling of tropical seas and jungle given in the text. The story reads aloud well and will be useful to storytellers."

New York Herald Tribune "A boy's character at ten years old is more often influenced by emotion than by reasoning. Something in the conduct of a hero leaps like a spark to light his own spirit. A book with a hero can sometimes bring this about. This is such a book.... It is related with unusual skill, carrying along a reader so rapidly he scarecely realizes how well it is being told... The story is wild enough to be remembered, and it cannot be remembered without doing good."

JUNE 95 - AudioFile

Mafatu, “Stout Heart,” is terrified of the sea, which surrounds his Polynesian home. Driven by shame and isolation, he undertakes a voyage to test himself against the sea and his own fears. George Guidall catches the rhythm of the storyteller. For the most part, he reads in a clear, measured manner, but his delivery becomes more intense and rapid as Mafatu fights for his life in a hurricane and pits himself against a deadly octopus. When Mafatu triumphs, Guidall relaxes into broad, celebratory tones and sings Mafatu’s paeans in full voice. Armstrong Sperry’s Newbery Award-winning story as masterfully presented by George Guidall recounts a hero’s personal journey and serves as an inspiring chart to a passage on the high seas of life. L.R.S. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID: 2940171554620
Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date: 01/16/2009
Edition description: Unabridged
Sales rank: 1,137,507
Age Range: 8 - 11 Years
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