Ahoy there me mateys! This be the second read in me April BookBum Club Challenge! This read is long overdue. Ye see it all stems from a post I read from me matey Jackie @ deathbysundoku back in October 2017. She be on the Great Newbery quest wherein she be reading all Newbery medal winners by January 2022 when the 100th Newbery Award happens! Worthy goal indeed. I meself had embarked on this journey many years ago before adverse winds and scads of other adventures sent me off course. I had managed 24 of them at last count.

So this be number 25. Arrrr! As always I love me sea yarns. This one is short but sweet. It is the story of Maftu who grows up on an island. A childhood mishap caused him (rightly) to be afraid of the sea. Due to the fact that the sea supports the livelihood of the tribe, Maftu is known as a coward. The day comes where he resolves to face his fears. So he steals a canoe and takes off with his trusty dog companion to sail on the sea only to be thrust into an even bigger adventure. Can he face his fears, learn to accept himself, and survive long enough to make it back home?

As me matey Jackie says, “Yes, this 1940 Newbery Award winner certainly has some representation issues. Yes, Call It Courage does play on all the noble-savage action-adventure boy serial tropes, such as those in the Tarzan serials. Yes, it portrays sexism, bullying, and submitting to peer pressure in a positive light. Yes, it does fall into a bit of a predictable storytelling mode where our protagonist magically conquers everything.”

That said, I also very much enjoyed this tale when cultural context is taken into account. Ye cheer on Maftu in his journey and come to respect his resourcefulness, hard work, and fortitude. From the modern perspective, it is interesting to note that Maftu would not have survived his ordeal if he hadn’t mastered the “women’s work” that is scorned by the men of the tribe.

The author was well known for his travels to the South Seas and the stories he brought back. The tale of Maftu was one such tale that was still told around the fires of the Polynesian islands. One of the highlights of the book were the author’s own illustrations. He became known for this artwork and illustrated over 40 books and magazines. His pictures of Maftu adventures and island life were wonderful.

I do think all readers could find something to enjoy in this tale. I highly encourage all the crew to read Jackie’s review because it is basically perfect in its representation of the book and its impact.
Much thanks to the BookBum Club for giving me the incentive to finally read this delightful “short and sweet” book (128 pgs).