Notes

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean in the world, covering nearly one-third of the earth's surface and containing more than half of its seawater. The Pacific Ocean contains more than 10,000 islands, some of which are only a few feet across and barely appear above the water, while others are huge land masses soaring up to volcanic mountains many thousands of feet in height. Thousands of years ago, bold brown-skinned sailors left their homeland and slowly began to make their way from one group of islands to another in their canoes. By planned voyages, and sometimes as castaways who were swept out to sea in their fishing boats, these men and women made their homes on the islands of the Pacific. Wherever they went they took with them the tales of their homeland. These were changed through the centuries, and other stories were added. This is a collection of tales from as far away as the Hawaiian Islands in the north and New Zealand in the far south. They are full of sunshine, of the love of nature and of the independence of these happy people.