Michael Kusugak
Michael Kusugak is Inuit and was raised in Nunavut. "I’ve always been close to the land, the sea and the animals,” he says. “I want to teach everything I know about how to live here, and write about everything kids like to do."
During his childhood, Michael’s family traveled by dog team; they lived in igloos in the winter and tents in the summer. He had no access to books as a child, and didn't speak a word of English until he was seven. “Every night, my grandma would tell us a story to put us to sleep,” he recalls. In 1954, a float plane whisked Michael off to a residential school in Chesterfield Inlet. “When you're seven years old and hauled away from your parents, it's very hard. I cried the whole year I was there—that’s all I remember. The following fall, when the airplane came again, I went and hid in the hills. I didn't go to school that year.” Michael went on to become one of the first Inuit from the eastern Arctic to graduate from high school, piecing together his education in Rankin Inlet, Yellowknife, Churchill and Saskatoon.
While in school, Michael enjoyed writing stories and poems, but he never thought of becoming an author until he met Robert Munsch. “He stayed with us during Children’s Book Week once, and I told him all kinds of legends. He suggested that I write them down, so we worked on one together, and eventually it was published!” That story, A Promise is a Promise, is based on one of Michael’s childhood memories. He explains, “I take things that are native to me, such as the northern lights, and create a story around them.”
Michael has since published many other titles, including Baseball Bats for Christmas, Hide and Sneak, Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails, My Arctic 1,2,3, Arctic Stories and Who Wants Rocks?— all of which are stunningly complemented by Vladyana Langer Krykorka's artwork. Northern Lights won the Ruth Schwartz Award in 1994. A Promise is a Promise and Northern Lights have been developed as CD-ROMs.
Prior to writing books for children, Michael spent 15 years working for the government in various positions. In his last posting he was Director of Community Programs for Arctic College. Now he devotes his time to writing, storytelling and speaking to educators. In 1997 he shared his stories at Young People’s Theatre in Toronto, during the run of a double-feature stage presentation: Michael Kusugak's Stories of the Inuit and A Promise is a Promise.
One of the most rewarding experiences for Michael is visiting children in schools and at libraries. He mesmerizes young audiences with narratives from his Arctic home and tales told with string. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, boating and looking out his study window at the northern landscape stretching towards the horizon.
Kids Books (3)
The Most Amazing Bird (PB)
$10.99
Artists:
Format:
Paperback
Text Content Territories:
Indigenous Canadian; Inuit;
ISBN / Barcode: 9781773214177
Synopsis:
Synopsis:
A young girl discovers nature’s surprising beauty in this tale from a renowned Inuit storyteller.
When Aggataa goes for a cold winter walk with her grandmother, she’s surprised by a sudden CRAH! All the birds have flown south for the winter except one kind—the tulugarguat, the ravens. They’re the ugliest birds that Aggaataa has ever seen. They look like they slept in their coats—coats that don’t even fit! However, as the winter slowly moves towards spring, Aggataa connects with one small raven in particular.
As the seasons change in full, the ravens leave and are replaced by seagulls, cranes, geese, ducks, and swans—all of them far more elegant than the “Ugly Bird.” But where Aggataa once thought the ravens odd for visiting during the harshest part of the year, she now finds herself watching the horizon, waiting for the return of the most amazing bird.
This touching story by award-winning author Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak reminds us of our lasting connection to nature, while art by celebrated illustrator Andrew Qappik illuminates the enduring magic of the changing seasons.
Awards
- 2020 Top 10 Picture Books of the Year, The Globe and Mail joint winner
- 2020 Kirkus Best Books List joint winner
Reviews
“The illustrations enrich the text and celebrate the heartwarming message that nature is a wonderful gift that we can connect to and relish.”— Storywraps
“Stunningly contemporary and amazingly timeless.”— Kirkus Reviews
“Sparse illustrations of arctic flora and fauna against the unforgiving snow and ice make this picture book immersive.” — Foreword Reviews
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.
Michael's story is about connection to nature and each other.
The art in this story is an authentic depiction of the Arctic landscape and provides the Inuit names for the birds.
Additional Information
40 pages | 9.50" x 6.90" | Paperback
Une Promesse, C'est Une Promesse
$12.95
Artists:
Format:
Paperback
Text Content Territories:
Indigenous Canadian; Inuit;
ISBN / Barcode: 9782896114122
Synopsis:
Synopsis:
Une légende inuite raconte que des Qallupilluits se cachent sous la glace de mer. Ces créatures capturent les enfants qui s’aventurent sans leurs parents près des crevasses de la glace. Mais la jeune Allashua doute de leur existence et décide, malgré la promesse faite à ses parents, d’aller pêcher seule sur l’océan glacé. Et comme il fallait s’y attendre, ce ne sont pas des poissons qu’elle rapportera à la maison…
Educator Information
A 30th Anniversary Edition of this resource is also available in English: A Promise Is a Promise: 30th Anniversary Edition
We Are All Connected: Inuit, Tundra and Ravens
$21.95
Format:
Paperback
Text Content Territories:
Indigenous Canadian; Inuit;
ISBN / Barcode: 9781771742481
Synopsis:
Synopsis:
“We Are All Connected” is a series that explores how we all live together in a shared balance upon Mother Earth. Each book explores a specific ecosystem with a focus on one animal and its adaptations for survival within that ecosystem. Indigenous interviewees, each living within the same area, have responded to strategic questions as to how their community interacts with the land, their traditional territory. Explore each text with a sense of inquiry in mind.
8 We Are All Connected Titles Coast Salish, Coastal Rainforests and Cougars Haisla, Rivers and Chinook Salmon Inuit, Tundra and Ravens Lakota, Mixed Grasslands and Bald Eagles Métis, Wetlands and Mallards Nisga'a, Ponds and Leopard Frogs Nlaka'pamux, Grasslands and Rattlesnakes Sto:lo, Riparian Forests and Black Bears Each title covers the following curricular areas. Traditional storytelling and artwork begin each title from the focus Indigenous territory. Science: Biodiversity, classification, life cycles, food chains, food webs and connections between living and non-living things are just some of the science concepts included in each book. Social Studies: Contemporary and historical Indigenous cultural knowledge flows throughout each book. Local land forms, gatherings, harvesting practices and government are some of the social studies concepts included in each book.
2 Foundation Titles The two foundational books provide deeper understanding of the content of the “We Are All Connected” titles. We Are All Connected: The Earth, Our Home- explores biomes, ecosystems and biodiversity. We Are All Connected: The Earth, We Share- explores the interconnectedness between living and non-living things.
Authenticity Note: This title includes some Indigenous artwork and photographs, such as artwork from Tooma Laisa and Terri Mack.
Additional Information
32 Pages | 8.5" x 11" | ISBN: 9781771742481
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