Maui and the Sun [Paperback]

Gavin Bishop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996

The Maori people of New Zealand tell this version of the Polynesian folktale in which a trickster uses magical powers to slow the movement of the sun.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5?A pourquoi story from the Maori culture. Maui, the trickster hero, and his brothers are upset because the sun travels across the sky so quickly that they don't have enough hours of daylight for fishing. Maui encourages the people of the village to weave ropes and, armed with them and an enchanted weapon made from his grandmother's jawbone, the man sets a trap and captures the sun, forcing it to travel more slowly. In retaliation, the sun travels so slowly that the Earth becomes parched, so Maui finally hitches it to the moon so that as one sets the other rises. Bishop provides notes about the character, the sources of the tale, and the motifs used in the illustrations. The lively pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings are slightly reminiscent of Paul Galdone's work; the sun is a fierce, tattooed warrior, too large to fit on the page. There are four tales about Maui, including a variation of this one, in Te Kanawa Kiri's Land of the Long White Cloud (Arcade, 1990), but the Maori are generally underrepresented in children's books. While Maui doesn't have quite the irreverent charm of Paul Goble's Iktomi, he is a worthy member of the trickster-hero breed.?Pam Gosner, Maplewood Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. Although the artwork is flat, this retelling of a popular Maori pourquoi tale is simple and lively. It tells how trickster Maui captured the sun with a net so that the day could be longer. Jay Williams' The Amazing Things Maui Did (1979), with handsome illustrations by Charles Mikolaycak, remains the definitive picture-book edition of Maui stories; this dialogue-rich alternative is more accessible to young children. An informative source note by Bishop, a native New Zealander, is appended. Julie Corsaro --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: North-South (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558585788
• ISBN-13: 978-1558585782
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,447,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong, stylised classic, January 30, 2002

By 

Fiona (Aotearoa/ New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maui and the Sun (Paperback)

Gavin Bishop, pre-eminent New Zealand illustrator, gives a strong portrayal of Maui, the trickster archetype in a legendary battle to order the universe. A story from the well-spring of Maori myth this is a book to treasure within a family library and as part of a comprehension collection of heroic tales in public libraries. Tama Nui te Ra, the sun, is personified in the tale and the illustrative style is an inspiration to teachers and students of the language arts.