Maren Vsetula
Maren Vsetula is a teacher and educational writer. She loves to spend as much time on the land as she can, hiking, fishing, paddling, and dogsledding. She has lived and worked in Nunavut for over a decade.
Kids Books (10)
Synopsis:
"My sister and I were excited for a visit with our favourite elder, and we were hoping to convince her to take us out for an adventure!"
Adventure begins when Grandma takes her two grandchildren out for a trip to the lake. After showing the kids how to prepare for a fishing trip, Grandma and the kids enjoy a day of jigging in the ice for fish. Grandma shows them every step they need to know to complete a successful fishing trip, from what clothes to wear, to how to drill and clear holes in the ice, to how to make a traditional Inuit jigging rod. By the end of the day, the kids have a yummy meal of Arctic char, and they have also learned everything they need to know to go out on the lake on their own.
Reviews
“Fishing with Grandma, which offers an engaging tale of two grandchildren and their grandma on an Arctic adventure, is ideal for primary grades.” — CM Magazine
“Readers learn about the traditional tools of the trade through prose peppered with Inuktitut and also take away a sweet message of caring for our elders, as the youngsters share their yummy Arctic char with those who can no longer jig for themselves.” — Hakai Magazine
Educator Information
Find the French translation of this book here: À la peche avec grand-maman
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 9.00"
Synopsis:
Lots of fun things happen when you spend the night at Grandma's house!
This illustrated book introduces readers to simple action verbs.
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. Going to Grandma's is a Level 4 book in the series.
Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Going to Grandma's has an F&P Level of A.
Recommended for ages 3-5.
Additional Information
12 pages | 8.00" x 6.00"
Synopsis:
Nanuraq and Jeela can’t wait to visit their grandmother at her cabin!
The cabin is cozy with the smell of bannock and a qulliq glowing. Grandma explains how she made the qulliq herself! Before long, the kids are pointing out other neat things around the cabin, like wooden dolls, bone toys, and pincushions. The kids learn that Grandma has made all of these items out of found objects.
Through exploring the cabin with their grandmother, the kids learn about the importance of being creative and not being wasteful.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.
Includes some Inuktitut words and phrases.
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 9.00" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Meet a real-life Inuit hero!
This book introduces the biography genre while teaching children about the life of Harry Okpik and the history of dogsledding.
Educator & Series 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. It is a Level 13 book in the series.
Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. F&P Level of this book: N.
Curriculum Connections: Language and Literacy; Diversity; Indigenous Perspectives; Identity; Self-Image
Recommended for ages 7 to 9.
Additional Information
52 pages | 7.50" x 9.30"
Synopsis:
Learn some of the ways people in the North use the outdoors for travel, gathering food, and having fun!
This non-fiction book uses a friendly child narrator to introduce readers to some of the traditional skills used by people living in the Arctic, such as dogsledding, igloo building, and ice fishing. With impressive photographs and descriptive text, this is an excellent support material for a classroom unit on Aboriginal peoples.
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. Land Skills is a Level 9 book in the series.
Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Land Skills' F&P Level is L.
Recommended for ages 5-7.
Additional Information
20 pages | 6.00" x 9.00"
Synopsis:
Ce livre séquentiel présente l’histoire d’une fillette préparant des crêpes. Les illustrations aux couleurs vives motivent les élèves à tourner les pages pour connaitre la suite de la recette.
This wordless sequence book features a girl preparing pancakes. Colourful illustrations keep students turning the pages to watch the process unfold.
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. Préparer des crêpes is a Level 1 book in the series. It is a wordless picture book.
Recommended for ages 3-5.
Additional Information
12 pages | 6.00" x 6.00"
Synopsis:
Susan and her sister, Rebecca, love watching their mother write letters to people in other camps. Their mother has one precious pencil, and she keeps it safe in her box for special things. One afternoon, their mother leaves the iglu to help a neighbour, and Susan, Rebecca, and their brother Peter are left with their father. They play all their regular games but are soon out of things to do—until their father brings out the pencil! As Susan draws and draws, the pencil grows shorter and shorter. What will their mother think when she comes home? Based on author Susan Avingaq’s childhood memories of growing up in an iglu, this charming story introduces young readers to the idea of using things wisely.
Reviews
[A] wonderful and touching story about resilience and thrift and community. The illustrations are appropriately done in pencil, and they are playful and open and beautiful." — The New York Times Book Review
"[A] rich and moving story about how small things can make a tremendous difference in children’s lives...Avingaq’s childhood is beautifully evoked in this charming story about the need to take care of our belongings." — The Globe and Mail
"Authors Avingaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings and caring for them wisely...A breath of warmth from the far north." — Kirkus Reviews
"A family-focused story with a light moral that lovingly illuminates a lifestyle rarely seen in children’s books." — School Library Journal
"The Pencil goes beyond a lesson in frugality and becomes a story of family, of play and of culture, which many children will appreciate." — CanLit for Little Canadians
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.
Additional Information
36 pages | 9.00" x 7.50" | Paperback
Synopsis:
What are some things you can try when you want to feel happy?
This book introduces readers to simple action verbs and the comparative word "more."
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. Things That Make Me Happy is a Level 5 book in the series.
Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Things That Make Me Happy's F&P Level is B.
Recommended for ages 3-5.
Additional Information
8 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
Joins-toi aux amis Ukaliq et Kalla dans leur aventure de camping! Cette histoire introduit l’enfant à la tradition nordique du camping dans la toundra.
Join best friends Ukaliq and Kalla on a camping adventure! This story introduces children to the Northern tradition of camping on the land.
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. Ukaliq et Kalla vont camper is a Level 7 book in the series.
Recommended for ages 4-6.
This resource is also available in English: Ukaliq and Kalla Go Camping
Additional Information
16 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
Ce livre séquentiel sans mot met en vedette un garçon qui se rend au terrain de jeux, joue dans différents modules et retourne très fatigué à la maison!
This wordless sequence book features a girl going to the playground, trying out all the different equipment and going home very tired!
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. Une randonnée au terrain de jeux is a Level 1 book in the series. It is a wordless picture book.
Recommended for ages 3-5.
Additional Information
12 pages | 6.00" x 6.00"
Text Content Note: Becuase this book is wordless, it features no Text Content Territory. As the story is told through images, though, the depictions of a child at the playground in the Canadian north would relate to studies of modern Inuit life.
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