Rebecca Hainnu

Like A Walk on the Tundra, A Walk on the Shoreline introduces young readers to unique plants and animals found in the Arctic, as well as the traditional Inuit uses for the various species.

Young Nukappia can’t wait to get out to his family campsite on the shoreline. After spending all year in the south with his adoptive parents, Nukappia always looks forward to his summer visits with his birth family. After spending one night in town, Nukappia and his uncle Angu begin the long walk down the shore to the family summer campsite, where all of Nukappia’s cousins and aunts and uncles are waiting for him. Along the way, Nukappia learns that the shoreline is not just ice and rocks and water. There is an entire ecosystem of plants and animals that call the shoreline home. From seaweed to clams to char to shore grasses, there is far more to see along the shoreline than Nukappia ever imagined.

Reviews
“A Walk on the Shoreline also has a full-colour glossary of the plants and animals that Nukappia encounters along the way, including photographs, quick facts and traditional uses of the plant or animal. A Walk on the Shoreline is a well-researched, informative and engaging guide to the northern shoreline. The information is well-placed and woven through the text in an engaging manner. The reader gets to learn along with the protagonist, focusing more on the flora and fauna along the way than the rest of the northern setting. This focus on one detail of living in Nunavut works well; it doesn’t try and add too many details, but it provides a thread along the way.” — CM Magazine

“This reunion story features detailed character and scene-setting sketches by Qin Leng that help readers see how traditional Inuit communities live.” — Hakai Magazine

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 5-7.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

A Walk on the Tundra follows Inuujaq, a little girl who travels with her grandmother onto the tundra. There, Inuujaq learns that these tough little plants are much more important to Inuit than she originally believed.

In addition to an informative storyline that teaches the importance of Arctic plants, this book includes a field guide with photographs and scientific information about a wide array of plants found throughout the Arctic.

Reviews
This volume is a cross between a picture book, a story and a field guide to edible plants.... Authors, Rebecca Hainnu and Anna Ziegler, have worked on several educational publications. That background is apparent in this book.  There are eighteen Inuktitut words, including 6 plant names, introduced in the text.  They are explained and italicized when they are first introduced, for example “Nirilikkit – eat them”. The next time the word is used, it is assumed that the reader knows what it means.... [A]s a tool for building vocabulary, or as a storybook for students who have some familiarity with Inuktitut, this work would be excellent."  – Sandy Campbell, The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

This beautifully illustrated picture books tells the story of the spirit of the sea, referred to as Nuliajuq, Sedna, Takannaaluk, and many other Inuktitut names.

Once a young woman who refused to marry, the lies and deceit of a treacherous bird—and her own father's cowardice—lead Nuliajuq to a life of solitude at the bottom of the ocean as the powerful, at times vengeful, spirit of the sea.

The Spirit of the Sea provides young readers with an authentic retelling of one of the most important, powerful legends in the canon of Inuit traditional stories.

Reviews
"The text, which is appropriate for upper elementary readers and above, is meant to be read aloud and generally has the sound of a traditional storyteller’s voice. The watercolours by Hwei Lim are beautiful and ethereal. The Spirit of the Sea is highly recommended for elementary school libraries, public libraries and libraries specializing in Canadian Indigenous materials."—Deakin Review

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 8.75"

This beautifully illustrated picture books tells the story of the spirit of the sea, referred to as Nuliajuq, Sedna, Takannaaluk, and many other Inuktitut names.

Once a young woman who refused to marry, the lies and deceit of a treacherous bird—and her own father's cowardice—lead Nuliajuq to a life of solitude at the bottom of the ocean as the powerful, at times vengeful, spirit of the sea.

The Spirit of the Sea provides young readers with an authentic retelling of one of the most important, powerful legends in the canon of Inuit traditional stories.

Reviews
"The text, which is appropriate for upper elementary readers and above, is meant to be read aloud and generally has the sound of a traditional storyteller’s voice. The watercolours by Hwei Lim are beautiful and ethereal. The Spirit of the Sea is highly recommended for elementary school libraries, public libraries and libraries specializing in Canadian Indigenous materials."—Deakin Review

"The Spirit of the Sea would be great for reading aloud [and] independent reading."—Canadian Teacher

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 8.75" | Paperback

Delve into a centuries—old mystery about a lost Arctic civilization!

Tuniit lived in Nunavut for a thousand years, even before Inuit arrived. This book introduces children to scientific theories and Inuit oral history to learn all about Tuniit.

Educator Information
This book is part of the Nunavummi Reading Series, a Nunavut-developed series that supports literacy learning while teaching readers about the people, traditions, and environment of the Canadian Arctic. Tuniit is a Level 10 book in the series.

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Tuniit's F&P Level is M.

Recommended for ages 5-7.

Additional Information
32 pages | 5.50" x 8.50"