Now, I don’ t wish to go into too much more detail on the plot as I’m not interested in producing any spoilers. If you have yet to watch Moana and want to know more, well then, you’ll just have to watch it. In response to these previous criticisms, the corporation admitted that their research for Aladdin consisted of a sole visit to a Saudi Arabian exposition at the Convention Center in Los Angeles– hardly what you could call groundbreaking cultural research. We know that cultures across each of the Pacific i slands differ (as should be expected), but I’m really struggling to understand why there was such a heavy focus on this research, only for a Hawaiian actress to be cast and a Hawaiian Airlines partnership to be created. Even those who have never once left their hometown are sure to be descended from travellers who sought new lands, new cultures, foods, materials and new experiences. Clements himself has said: “We took a trip to Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti, which really was the basis of the movie in terms of the connection to navigation, to people’s connection to their ancestry, and respect for nature – a lot of those ideas came from that first research trip, and the movie was heavily inspired by that.”

A big part of the movie's allure is the visuals and music so I'm not sure how enjoyable the book is if you haven't seen the movie but I thought the author did a great job on the writing. Also, there are a number of Polynesian folk-lore short stories sprinkled throughout.Perhaps Disney should have settled on just one culture rather than trying to tie them in with one another? In fact, the meaning behind her name “Moana” is said to be “ocean” or “deep sea” in both Maori and Hawaiian.

As for the story itself...I just absolutely adored it. I felt Moana's frustration, fear, hope, and daring. I was supremely irritated with Maui a few times, but then, at others, I almost CRIED. Y'all, he was really just looking for a little gratitude to feel like he was actually DOING something for humans, and he JUST WANTED SOME LOVE, BC WE ALL NEED LOOOOOVEEEE!!! /endcrazytirade

In my view, any article, YouTube video, movie, any medium really that tries to show us why we should all care for the world more is going to be a hit with me. My 5 year old's favourite movie. Even though the book is written more for a 10 year old, knowing the movie so well helped her to visualize where we were in the story. Wow, thanks for such a detailed comment, Gerard! Please don’t stress over how your comment has come across. I totally understand the use of caps in helping to get your point across. If you’d used !!!’s on the other hand, well then, we may very well be having a different discussion right now. (Totally kidding by the way, I actually quite like an exclamation mark)… 😉

However, as should be expected, the beliefs throughout these cultures, although similar in some ways, do differ in many other ways. Is Moana based on a true story? Let’s find out, shall we? Keep reading to find out how the story of Moana holds up against the Polynesian culture and beliefs.

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This is so cute ahh!! I'm gonna give this book to my cousins! Can be used as a bedtime story, vocab lesson, and comprehension/cross-media analysis tool for kiddos in ELAR classes. Tulou Tagaloa • An Innocent Warrior • Where You Are • How Far I'll Go • We Know the Way • You're Welcome • Shiny • Logo Te Pate • I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors) • Know Who You Are Moana • Maui • Gramma Tala • Chief Tui • Sina • Heihei • Pua • Mini Maui • Tamatoa • Kakamora • Te Fiti/Te Kā • Ocean • Eight-Eyed Bats • Matai Vasa • Motunui Villagers vocab challenges. There are some decently large words in here- great for vocab assignments/learning opportunities for target market. One key example is the character, Maui. He’s a heroic figure that can be found throughout many Polynesian myths, legends and stories.