Punga: The Goddess of Ugly

Children's Literature - Deborah Zink Roffino

In a lush, primeval forest in New Zealand, two young Maori maidens dodge the wicked goddess Punga. They design a dance that will save them from becoming fixtures in Punga's collection of wooden carvings that litter the ancient Polynesian landscape. Well researched, written and embellished by an award winning author and illustrator.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-When a mischievous twin is turned into a wooden statue by Punga, the hideous and vengeful goddess of all things ugly, her sister devises a scheme for rescuing her (and Mudfish and Lizard in the bargain). Since it is the one night of the year when the creatures on Punga's lodgepole are allowed to dance, Kiri challenges the goddess saying, "`if any one of us is ugly, that one should be on your roof beam for all to see.'" Then she and Maraweia, Lizard, and Mudfish perform a perfect haka, a fierce and beautiful traditional Maori dance, and earn their freedom. When Punga reacts by sticking out her tongue, she is turned into a repulsive wooden decoration on her own lodge house. The mixture of greens that dominates the watercolor illustrations evokes the lush tangle of the New Zealand forest. Lattimore's own interpretations of Maori traditional wooden carvings add a feeling of authenticity and are scattered throughout the paintings; at least one of these scenes is as vivid as a nightmare and is potentially frightening. A glossary of Maori words and a map round out this picture book, which is long on folkloric feeling but lacks any sources other than an author's note explaining some Maori customs.-Ellen Fader, Oregon State Library, Salem