Pacific Island Legends: Tales from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Austrialia

by Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong

Collects forty-three historical or traditional stories from the Pacific Islands, including creation myths and stories of gods, heroes, and ordinary people.

266 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1901

About the author

This author also goes by Bo Flood.

Nancy Bo Flood is an author, psychologist, teacher, and mother who writes about what she enjoys—children and foreign cultures. She has taught in several different cultures, including Japan, Saipan of Micronesia, Hawaii and Samoa. She lives on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona.

Reviews

[Alan Bach]

I didn't realize this book was targeting a 4th grade audience. That is made very clear on the back of the book, but not the front. Besides having notes giving definitions of some big words they definitely sanitized a few of the stories.

[Spiegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't familiar with myths from this part of the world yet, so this was an interesting read.

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for The Jealous Sun and His
Beloved Moon
By Folk tale from Papua New Guinea -
Anonymous

[Csenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection! Since it was apparently written as a textbook of some sort, it is full of interesting information. Every chapter begins with a description of the area in general (Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, Australia), and then a short description of all the main islands. I learned a lot of new things about Pacific history and cultures. The descriptions are simplified, but not dumbed down.
The stories are similarly well chosen and well told. They don't skirt subjects like death and sexuality. They don't read like they had been "cleaned up for children" (the no. 1 crime in publishing folktales). My only complaint is that there could have been some more stories, but I realize this is a textbook and not a folklore publication. The stories were well chosen, new, and exciting.
There are pronunciation guides for every name and foreign word, which was also appreciated.

[Marty Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read while in the south pacific.