Inuit

Nilak has a lot of fun during the Arctic winter!

Nilak, a young polar bear, has fun sliding down hills and playing games on the sea ice, such as pretending to be an Arctic explorer or a tuniq from long ago!

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.  It is a Level 7 book in the series. 

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

Curriculum Connections: Language and literacy; Diversity; Indigenous perspectives; Environmental awareness; History; Heritage.

Recommended for ages 4-6.

Additional Information 
16 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Siuluk is a very strong man. He’s so strong that people tell him he must be the last of the Tuniit, friendly giants who once lived in the North. Just like those giants, Siuluk is so strong that he can carry an entire walrus over his shoulder.

But not everyone believes that Siuluk is strong. One day, when a group of men tease Siuluk about his size, he has to find a way to prove his strength once and for all—but how?

Based on traditional stories from the Chesterfield Inlet area of the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, this tale of Siuluk and his legendary strength will captivate young readers.

Educator Information
Fountas and Pinnell Level N
Suggested Ages: 5-7.

Additional Information
28 pages | 8.00" x 9.00"

"Dream a little, Kulu, this world now sings a most beautiful song of you."

This beautiful bedtime poem, written by acclaimed Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk, describes the gifts given to a newborn baby by all the animals of the Arctic.

Lyrically and tenderly told by a mother speaking to her own little Kulu; an Inuktitut term of endearment often bestowed upon babies and young children, this visually stunning book is infused with the traditional Inuit values of love and respect for the land and its animal inhabitants.

A perfect gift for new parents.

Reviews
“[A] lovely bedtime book . . . Young children will be captivated by the stunning beauty of the Arctic world embracing little Kulu.” — Quill and Quire

“Highly recommended” — Canadian Review of Materials, 4/4 stars

“This is a terrific book for those who have a newborn in the house… And for those of us who just need a book that rights the world for us, that reminds us of that world in all its richness.” — American Indians in Children’s Literature

“. . . [P]lenty of material for both parents and children to enjoy.” — Books and Quilts

“Complementing Kalluk’s words are gorgeous illustrations by Alexandria Neonakis.” — The Book Mine Set

Educator Information
This resource is also available in different formats:

• The Sweetest Kulu (Hardcover)
• The Sweetest Kulu (Board Book)

This resource is also available in French: Kulu adoré

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"

Read about an ogress of the Arctic!

Based on an Inuit traditional story, this book tells the tale of a brave and quick-thinking orphan and his encounter with a strange Arctic ogress.

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.  It is a Level 8-11 book in the series. 

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

Curriculum Connections: Language and literacy; Diversity; Indigenous perspectives; Heritage.

Recommended for ages 5-7.

Additional Information 
36 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Ukpik loves living in her camp in the North with her family and she especially loves thinking up names for her brand new puppy. When a captain from the south arrives to trade with Ukpik's father, she's excited to learn how to use forks, knives, and spoons.

At first, Ukpik enjoys teaching the other children how to use these new tools. But soon, she starts to wonder if they'll need to use the new tools all the time, and if that means that everything in camp will change.

After a conversation with her grandmother, Ukpik realizes that even though she will learn many new things, her love for her family and camp will never change - and it even inspires her to find a name for her puppy!

Educator Information
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2019-2020 resource list as being useful for grades K-3 in these subject areas: English Language Arts and Social Studies.

This book is available in French: Una Huna?: Qu'est-ce-que c'est ? 

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.00" x 9.00"

When Elisapee’s father brings home a baby seagull, Elisapee falls in love with the bird right away. She feeds and cares for her new friend, named Nau, and even helps Nau learn how to fly! Nau grows, and grows, and grows some more, until she’s big enough to fly all over town and play with the other seagulls. Soon, it seems like Nau is ready to leave home for good, and Elisapee has to learn how to say goodbye. Based on the author’s childhood experience, this charming story about learning to care for animals will delight young readers.

Reviews
"Stories like Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull, which feature Inuit characters and communities in contemporary settings, allow young Inuit readers to see their own peers and neighborhoods represented in children’s books. They also allow young Canadians from other provinces to experience a vibrant part of our country that they might otherwise never be introduced to." - The Book Wars

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.75" x 8.75"

Talittuq is excited to start his first day of grade two. He is looking forward to the new school year, but as he meets his friends again for the first time after summer vacation, he notices that a lot of his friends’ families are very different from his own. Some have one mom and one dad, and some have only a mom. Some kids live with their grandparents. Some live with two dads or two moms. As Talittuq hears about all the fun his friends have had with their families, he learns that families come in many different shapes and sizes, and what holds them all together is love!

Educator Information
Ages 5-7.

Additional Information
28 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

Nivi has always known that her names were special, but she does not know where they came from. So, one sunny afternoon, Nivi decides to ask her mom how she got her names. The stories of the people Nivi is named after lead her to an understanding of traditional Inuit naming practices and knowledge of what those practices mean to Inuit.

How Nivi Got Her Names is an easy-to-understand introduction to traditional Inuit naming, with a story that touches on Inuit custom adoption.

Review
"Charlene Chua's gentle illustrations help to unify the concepts in the story quite clearly. The reader is able to grasp the concepts of Nivi's ancestry by viewing the photographs in the story of loving, smiling and welcoming namesakes of both Nova Scotian and Inuit relatives. I particularly like the illustrations that depict Nivi's namesakes surrounding her in circles of love and family. The messages of love, respect and identity are important ones and ultimately make How Nivi Got Her Names relatable to all children. It can be read as both a story and an information book, and it could be used effectively in classrooms to teach concepts of heritage, community, history and family." — CM Magazine

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

The northern lights shine, women gather to eat raw caribou meat and everyone could be family in this ode to small-town life in Nunavut, written in English and Inuktitut.

Sisters Angnakuluk Friesen and Ippiksaut Friesen collaborate on this story about what it’s like to grow up in an Inuit community in Nunavut. Every line about the hometown in this book will have readers thinking about what makes their own hometowns unique. With strong social studies curriculum connections, Kisimi Taimaippaktut Angirrarijarani / ᑭᓯᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑉᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕆᔭᕋᓂ / Only in My Hometown introduces young readers to life in the Canadian North, as well as the Inuit language and culture.

Angnakuluk’s simple text, translated into Inuktitut and written out in syllabics and transliterated roman characters, is complemented by Ippiksaut’s warm paintings of their shared hometown.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 3-7.

Recommended for Grades K-2.

Curriculum Connections: Health & Daily Living, Language Arts, Social Studies.

Additional Information
24 pages | 11.00" x 8.25"

When young Donald and his friends head down to the water to play, they have no idea that they are soon to encounter an arnajuinnaq ('mermaid'), one of the creatures that his elders have told him about. Terrified, the boys run back to their camp, ready to tell everyone what they have just seen. But what did they see? They can't seem to remember it clearly. It is up to Donald's grandmother to explain to them the magical creature they just encountered.

Based on the author's own childhood experiences.

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.00" x 9.00"

Ukaliq and Kalla are two friends who could not be more different.

Ukaliq is loud, excited, and always looking for adventure. Kalla on the other hand, is calm, quiet, and knows it’s best to be well prepared before travelling out on the land or sea ice.

When the two friends head out for a day of fishing, Ukaliq can barely wait to get his line in the water - but his eagerness to catch a fish may just leave him empty handed in the end.

There is a lot Kalla could teach Ukaliq about a successful fishing trip, if only Ukaliq would sit still long enough to listen!

Review
"Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing is a classic story of two friends who are complete opposites... What makes this story unique is the setting and the dynamic between the characters. The story takes place in the Arctic, a setting which provides surroundings, animals, and terminology that children may not be familiar with (for example, the animals 'snow bunting' and 'char', and words like 'qamutiik' and 'jerry can'). Fortunately, the majority of new words can be figured out in context and through examination of the pictures." — CM Magazine

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.75" x 8.75"

Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. She has friends with super speed (who always beat her in races), friends with super strength (who can dangle from the monkey bars for hours), and friends who are better than her at a million other things.

Nalvana thinks she must be the only kid in town without a superpower.

But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special—and that her superpower was right in front of her all along.

Awards
- 2017 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens

Reviews
“. . . [W]ell-written, [and] heart-warming . . .” — Quill & Quire

“Nalvana is a bundle of creativity, spunk, and determination—readers will be happy to know her.” — Kirkus

“. . . [A] very sweet story that encourages children to rethink how they evaluate success . . .” — The Book Wars

“. . . Nalvana’s superpower is not one of the athletic or other overt skills that are normally so admired in our current society . . ., Aviaq Johnston has made her story one of inclusivity, not exclusivity.” — CanLit for Little Canadians

“. . . [A] book kids will clamor to read, even as they learn terms like ‘anaana’, ‘inuksuk’, and ‘panik’. That’s its superpower.” — School Library Journal

Educator Information
An Inuktitut Glossary consisting of four words is included at the back of the book.

Recommended ages: 3-5

This book has been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Its F&P level is L.

This book is available in a revised board book edition: What's My Superpower? (BB) 

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.75" x 8.75"

When Akilak must travel a great distance to another camp to gather food, she thinks she will never be able to make it. With a little help from her grandmother’s spirit, and her own imagination to keep her entertained, Akilak manages to turn a long journey into an adventure. Even though she at first feels that she will never be able to reach her destination, she keeps her grandmother’s assurance that her “destination is not running away; it will be reached eventually” in mind and ends up enjoying the journey that at first seemed so daunting.

Reviews

“Akilak’s Adventure is a worthy addition to school and public library collections.” — CM Magazine

“An engaging and recommended read-aloud for all collections.” — School Library Journal

“Akilak’s Adventure has timeless teachings about responsibility and the importance of imagination to make it a worthwhile read now and always.” — CanLit for Little Canadians

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 7.00"

"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"

Jake can't wait for his uncle to meet Kamik, and to see what an obedient puppy he is becoming. Jake's uncle is a great musher, who has won many dog sledding races, and if Kamik is good enough, Jake hopes today might be the day that Kamik finally gets to run with a dog team! Following Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story and Kamik's First Sled, Kamik Joins the Pack continues the story of Jake and his puppy Kamik as they learn from their elders everything they need to know to some day be part of a winning sled dog team.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Kamik series. Books in this series share traditional dog-rearing practices and dog-training techniques from the remote community of Arviat, Nunavut, through the life memories of community members. These books preserve the rich history of working dogs in Nunavut and celebrate the traditional bond between Inuit and their sled dogs.

This resource is also available in French: Kamik rejoint la meute.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"