A retelling of the Hawaiian stories of the demi-god Maui, who in spite of his incorrigible mischief making, or perhaps because of it, managed to bring fire and bamboo to his people and to pull an island out of the sea with his sacred fishhook.

Retells the adventures of the legendary Hawaiian mischief maker.

Hawiian versions of the birth and exploits of Maui, taken from the ancient creation chants.

"The Mäui story probably contains a larger number of unique and ancient mythsthan that of any other legendary character in the mythology of any nation." WilliamDrake WesterveltMäui is a mythic figure known throughout Polynesia who lifts up the heavens,and fishes up islands from beneath the sea with his magic fishhook; a folkhero that snares the sun to make it move more slowly, and shares the secret ofmaking fire. Mäui is the mischief maker, benefactor, worker of miracles. As ademigod he used his supernatural power to benefit his people; but he also lovedto play pranks. Mäui is well loved for his mixture of human and godlike qualities.Stories of Mäui have been passed on for countless generations, spread farand wide due to the great seafaring prowess of voyagers sailing across the vastarea of Moananuiakea, the Pacific Ocean.In Hawaiian folklore he is known for slowing the sun to help his mother,Hina, have time for her kapa to dry. He pulls the Hawaiian islands from the seaand rescues Hina from the vicious mo'o Kuna. His exploits are vast and varied;the best known among them are The Seven Great Deeds of Mäui, which arecollected and retold here.

Folktales often portray stories about the creation of certain places. Readers of this engaging play learn one tale of how the Hawaiian Islands came to be. The story of Ma-ui and his family is told with the help of captivating text and dialogue, as well as vivid illustrations that closely correlate with the textual content of the book. This exciting story is sure to get young readers excited about plays and folktales.

The twins Läieikawai and Läielohelohe are separated at birth but remain linked by their great beauty and a series of unscrupulous admirers and fickle husbands. Eventually the sisters are reunited with the help of a colorful cast of characters, including a man-eating lizard, a "cosmic" spider, and a giant bird, and find happiness at last in each other's company. This timeless kaao, or legend, of long ago is lovingly retold and illustrated here by renowned Island artist and storyteller Dietrich Varez.

It is hard to imagine life without fire. Heat, light, food—where would we be without these essentials? Although we do not rely on fire as much today as in times past, nor have as much direct contact with it, fire was often crucial to survival when the stories in this collection were first told. People often told stories about it: what their lives were like without fire, how they first acquired it and how it changed their lives. This collection of nine traditional tales, retold by Jon C. Stott, draws from eight different countries. Learn how Maui stole fire twice (New Zealand), how Coyote and his friends captured fire (United States), how Opossum brought fire back to the people (Mexico) and how Vasilisa used the Baba Yaga’s fire (Russia). The main characters of these stories differ in many aspects. Some are well-known heroes, and some are insignificant members of their groups. Some made their quests for fire alone, and some worked with others. Some were brave and unselfish, and some sought personal glory. But all knew that fire was essential for their people.