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Call It Courage

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description Call It Courage Overview

Call It Courage is a children's adventure novel written and illustrated by Armstrong Sperry and published in 1940. Set in the Pacific islands, it follows Mafatu, a Polynesian boy who fears the sea and leaves his community alone in a canoe, facing storms, isolation, hunger, and other dangers. The story focuses on survival, courage, and Mafatu's effort to overcome shame and prove himself within his seafaring culture. It received the 1941 Newbery Medal for distinguished American children's literature.

help Call It Courage FAQ

What is Call It Courage about?

It tells the story of Mafatu, a Polynesian boy on the island of Hikueru who is terrified of the sea after his mother drowned when he was a small child. To overcome his fear and shame, he sets out alone in a canoe and must survive storms, sharks, hunger, and other dangers on a distant island.

Did Call It Courage win the Newbery Medal?

Yes, Call It Courage was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1941, recognizing it as the year's most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Armstrong Sperry both wrote and illustrated the book.

Who wrote and illustrated Call It Courage?

Armstrong Sperry both wrote the text and created the illustrations for the novel, which was published in 1940. Sperry drew on his own travels in the South Pacific to create the setting and the cultural details of Mafatu's world.

What dangers does Mafatu face in Call It Courage?

Mafatu battles open-ocean storms that nearly destroy his canoe, starvation and thirst on an unfamiliar island, hammerhead sharks in the lagoon, wild boar, and the threat of hostile islanders who he fears will discover and kill him. Each challenge forces him to build courage and practical survival skills.

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