Call It Courage Study Guide
About Author: Armstrong Sperry (1897-1976) is author of many books including All Sail Set, Lost Lagoon, and Hull-Down for Action.
Before Reading Book --This book is a legend, a story told by Polynesians. It is the story of a boy who is afraid of the sea. But he overcomes his fear to become a brave and courageous boy. Everyone is afraid of something.
1. Write about a time when you were afraid. (e.g., fear of flying, heights, alone, darkness, water)
2. How did you face your fear?
Chapter 1 (pp. 7-17)
1. How did the people treat Mafatu, the boy who was afraid?
2. What was Mafatu’s fear?
3. When did Mafatu begin to fear the sea?
4. What did Mafatu see in his dreams?
5. Why did Mafatu’s father fear for him?
6. How was Mafatu treated by other children? Have you ever been treated badly by other children?
7. Why couldn’t Mafatu go fishing with other boys?
8. Who were Mafatu’s only real friends?
9. How did young boys of the island become important?
10. How did Kana try to get Mafatu to go fishing with him?
12. What was the feeling of the tribe toward Mafatu that Kana told everyone?
13. How does Mafatu plan to prove himself?
14. Why was Mafatu planning to leave the island?
15. Why didn’t Mafatu turn back to the island in his canoe?
16. How did Kivi, his albatross, help him?
Chapter 2: The Sea (pp. 21-34)
1. Why didn’t Mafatu have to paddle the canoe in the open sea?
2. What sea animals did Mafatu see in the ocean?
3. How did Mafatu get food and water at sea?
4. How did Mafatu ride out the storm?
5. What did Mafatu lose in the storm?
6. When Mafatu thought Uri and he were going to die at sea, who appeared?
7. What was the shadow on the horizon?
8. How was the island Mafatu landed on different than Hikueru?
9. How did Mafatu get to the island?
10. How could they survive on the island? How would you survive alone on an Island?
11. What are pandanus?
Chapter 3: The Island (pp.35-54)
1. Once Mafatu drank water on the island what did he need next?
2. Why couldn’t he eat coconuts?
3. Think about Mafatu’s needs on the island. Rank these needs from 1-4: fire, people, water, and food. Write about how you would satisfy each of these needs if you were Mafatu.
4. Why didn’t people on the island find Mafatu?
5. How do you think the island was formed?
6. Why did Mafatu need lime juice and leaves?
7. If no people lived on the island, how do you think the trail got there?
8. Why wouldn’t Mafatu have to worry about food on the island?
9. Why was Mafatu hoping for and at the same time fearing people on the island?
10. Why did Mafatu think there might be people on the island 50 miles away?
11. How did Mafatu plan to kill the wild boar?
12. How would Mafatu ever get back home?
13. What was Mafatu’s vow?
14. How did the banana leaves get cut?
15. Who made this trail through the jungle?
16. Why do you think there were human bones around the statue?
17. What is an “A marae”?
18. Why did Mafatu touch the statue? What evil things do you think Mafatu thought might happen to him because he touched the statue?
19. Why did Mafatu celebrate touching the statue?
20. How did Mafatu make a fire?
21. How did Mafatu control his thoughts of loneliness?
22. How would Mafatu make a knife?
23. What was Mafatu’s greatest fear?
24. Why did food taste so good to Mafatu?
25. Why did Mafatu sleep well?
Chapter 4: Drums (pp.55-79)
1. Why do you think this chapter is titled drums?
2. Why did Mafatu bank the fire?
3. What skills did Mafatu have that helped him survive on the island? What survival skills do you have?
4. How did Mafatu make a dug-out canoe?
5. Why did Mafatu need a raft more than a canoe?
6. Why was killing a boar as important as a canoe to Mafatu?
7. Tell how you know Kivi, the albatross, and Uri, his dog, liked the island?
8. How did Mafatu finally make clothes?
9. Why was Mafatu happy to find the whale skeleton?
10. Why didn’t Mafatu get anything out of his fish trap?
11. How did Mafatu treat his dog?
12. How did the hammer head shark get sea animals out of Mafatu’s fish trap?
13. Why was Mafatu forced to fight the shark?
14. How did Mafatu wound the shark?
15. Draw the canoe on page 65, paragraph one.
16. Why did Mafatu climb the flat rock to his look out each day?
17. How did Mafatu defend himself against the charging wild boar?
18. How did Mafatu feel after killing the wild boar?
19. What did Mafatu do with the wild boar?
20. Now that Mafatu’s canoe was done, what must he do?
21. How did Mafatu’s canoe work in water?
22. How did Mafatu feel about the sea in his new canoe?
23. What didn’t Mafatu do that day that he did every other day? How could that be a problem for him?
24. What could Mafatu see in the clear reef water?
25. What was in his fish trap?
26. Why did Mafatu dive feet-first into the water?
27. Why did Mafatu have to fight for his life?
28. When would Mafatu start home?
29. How did Mafatu pack for the trip home?
30. What was the thump-thump, thump Mafatu heard?
Chapter 5: Homeward (pp. 80-95)
1. Why did Mafatu climb back up to the flat-rock lookout?
2. Draw the scene that forever burned in Mafatu’s memory?
3. Why must Mafatu flee?
4. Why didn’t the savages get him?
5. Why did Mafatu still hear the thump-thump, thump?
6. How many savages followed him?
7. Why were the savages getting closer to Mafatu=s canoe?
8. What guided the canoe safely back to Hikueru?
9. Why was it finally safe to sleep at sea?
10. Why didn’t storms come, just endless days at sea?
11. Now, what dangerous creatures followed Mafatu at sea?
12. Alone at sea, how did Mafatu feel about the gods?
13. Who else was in the canoe with Mafatu?
14. How did Mafatu know Hikueru Island lay ahead?
15. What did Mafatu say to his father?
16. How did his father react?
17. How did you like the ending to the book?
After Reading the Book
1. List all the events in the book that could have happened in one column. Then list all the events you think couldn’t have happened in another column.
2. Explain why this story is fiction not fact.
3. How did the attitude of his tribe toward Mafatu change from the beginning to the end of the book?
4. Why would Mafatu’s story be a good story to tell children in a Polynesian tribe?
About Author: Armstrong Sperry (1897-1976) is author of many books including All Sail Set, Lost Lagoon, and Hull-Down for Action.
Before Reading Book --This book is a legend, a story told by Polynesians. It is the story of a boy who is afraid of the sea. But he overcomes his fear to become a brave and courageous boy. Everyone is afraid of something.
1. Write about a time when you were afraid. (e.g., fear of flying, heights, alone, darkness, water)
2. How did you face your fear?
Chapter 1 (pp. 7-17)
1. How did the people treat Mafatu, the boy who was afraid?
2. What was Mafatu’s fear?
3. When did Mafatu begin to fear the sea?
4. What did Mafatu see in his dreams?
5. Why did Mafatu’s father fear for him?
6. How was Mafatu treated by other children? Have you ever been treated badly by other children?
7. Why couldn’t Mafatu go fishing with other boys?
8. Who were Mafatu’s only real friends?
9. How did young boys of the island become important?
10. How did Kana try to get Mafatu to go fishing with him?
12. What was the feeling of the tribe toward Mafatu that Kana told everyone?
13. How does Mafatu plan to prove himself?
14. Why was Mafatu planning to leave the island?
15. Why didn’t Mafatu turn back to the island in his canoe?
16. How did Kivi, his albatross, help him?
Chapter 2: The Sea (pp. 21-34)
1. Why didn’t Mafatu have to paddle the canoe in the open sea?
2. What sea animals did Mafatu see in the ocean?
3. How did Mafatu get food and water at sea?
4. How did Mafatu ride out the storm?
5. What did Mafatu lose in the storm?
6. When Mafatu thought Uri and he were going to die at sea, who appeared?
7. What was the shadow on the horizon?
8. How was the island Mafatu landed on different than Hikueru?
9. How did Mafatu get to the island?
10. How could they survive on the island? How would you survive alone on an Island?
11. What are pandanus?
Chapter 3: The Island (pp.35-54)
1. Once Mafatu drank water on the island what did he need next?
2. Why couldn’t he eat coconuts?
3. Think about Mafatu’s needs on the island. Rank these needs from 1-4: fire, people, water, and food. Write about how you would satisfy each of these needs if you were Mafatu.
4. Why didn’t people on the island find Mafatu?
5. How do you think the island was formed?
6. Why did Mafatu need lime juice and leaves?
7. If no people lived on the island, how do you think the trail got there?
8. Why wouldn’t Mafatu have to worry about food on the island?
9. Why was Mafatu hoping for and at the same time fearing people on the island?
10. Why did Mafatu think there might be people on the island 50 miles away?
11. How did Mafatu plan to kill the wild boar?
12. How would Mafatu ever get back home?
13. What was Mafatu’s vow?
14. How did the banana leaves get cut?
15. Who made this trail through the jungle?
16. Why do you think there were human bones around the statue?
17. What is an “A marae”?
18. Why did Mafatu touch the statue? What evil things do you think Mafatu thought might happen to him because he touched the statue?
19. Why did Mafatu celebrate touching the statue?
20. How did Mafatu make a fire?
21. How did Mafatu control his thoughts of loneliness?
22. How would Mafatu make a knife?
23. What was Mafatu’s greatest fear?
24. Why did food taste so good to Mafatu?
25. Why did Mafatu sleep well?
Chapter 4: Drums (pp.55-79)
1. Why do you think this chapter is titled drums?
2. Why did Mafatu bank the fire?
3. What skills did Mafatu have that helped him survive on the island? What survival skills do you have?
4. How did Mafatu make a dug-out canoe?
5. Why did Mafatu need a raft more than a canoe?
6. Why was killing a boar as important as a canoe to Mafatu?
7. Tell how you know Kivi, the albatross, and Uri, his dog, liked the island?
8. How did Mafatu finally make clothes?
9. Why was Mafatu happy to find the whale skeleton?
10. Why didn’t Mafatu get anything out of his fish trap?
11. How did Mafatu treat his dog?
12. How did the hammer head shark get sea animals out of Mafatu’s fish trap?
13. Why was Mafatu forced to fight the shark?
14. How did Mafatu wound the shark?
15. Draw the canoe on page 65, paragraph one.
16. Why did Mafatu climb the flat rock to his look out each day?
17. How did Mafatu defend himself against the charging wild boar?
18. How did Mafatu feel after killing the wild boar?
19. What did Mafatu do with the wild boar?
20. Now that Mafatu’s canoe was done, what must he do?
21. How did Mafatu’s canoe work in water?
22. How did Mafatu feel about the sea in his new canoe?
23. What didn’t Mafatu do that day that he did every other day? How could that be a problem for him?
24. What could Mafatu see in the clear reef water?
25. What was in his fish trap?
26. Why did Mafatu dive feet-first into the water?
27. Why did Mafatu have to fight for his life?
28. When would Mafatu start home?
29. How did Mafatu pack for the trip home?
30. What was the thump-thump, thump Mafatu heard?
Chapter 5: Homeward (pp. 80-95)
1. Why did Mafatu climb back up to the flat-rock lookout?
2. Draw the scene that forever burned in Mafatu’s memory?
3. Why must Mafatu flee?
4. Why didn’t the savages get him?
5. Why did Mafatu still hear the thump-thump, thump?
6. How many savages followed him?
7. Why were the savages getting closer to Mafatu=s canoe?
8. What guided the canoe safely back to Hikueru?
9. Why was it finally safe to sleep at sea?
10. Why didn’t storms come, just endless days at sea?
11. Now, what dangerous creatures followed Mafatu at sea?
12. Alone at sea, how did Mafatu feel about the gods?
13. Who else was in the canoe with Mafatu?
14. How did Mafatu know Hikueru Island lay ahead?
15. What did Mafatu say to his father?
16. How did his father react?
17. How did you like the ending to the book?
After Reading the Book
1. List all the events in the book that could have happened in one column. Then list all the events you think couldn’t have happened in another column.
2. Explain why this story is fiction not fact.
3. How did the attitude of his tribe toward Mafatu change from the beginning to the end of the book?
4. Why would Mafatu’s story be a good story to tell children in a Polynesian tribe?