Inuit

Aurora is a brave and resourceful Inuk girl. When her family goes missing while on a hunting trip, she embarks on a perilous mission to find them. In her travels Aurora must face both the harsh Arctic elements and her own fears, but she does not do so alone: she finds allies in a mother polar bear, Mama Nanuk, and her cubs. Once she is home and reunited with her parents, Aurora’s story of grit and determination becomes an inspiration to the people in her village. Beautifully illustrated by the author, Aurora’s Journey is a celebration of individual resilience in the face of tough times.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

Additional Information
26 pages | 9.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover 

Celebrate the 35th anniversary of this beloved holiday classic with a fresh edition that preserves the magic of the original story and brings it to life with stunning new illustrations.

The year is 1955. Arvaarluk and his friends watch Rocky Parsons land his plane on the ice in Repulse Bay, a tiny community “smack dab on the Arctic Circle.” Having never seen trees before, the children try to guess what the six green spindly things are that Rocky delivers. One of the boys has a brilliant idea: why not use them as baseball bats?

Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak is one of Canada’s foremost storytellers. Baseball Bats for Christmas captures the warmth and cadence of his voice as he describes the close-knit life of his community and the ingenuity he and his friends demonstrated when faced with something wholly unfamiliar.

Award-winning Inuk illustrator Coco Apunnguaq Lynge draws inspiration from the iconic work of Inuk artist Germaine Arnaktauyok to immerse the reader in the beauty of the Arctic landscape.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Themes: Inuit; Arctic; community; multicultural; friends; resourcefulness. 

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 10.75" | Hardcover

The Grumpy Faces are a gang of whimsical woodland and Arctic creatures that care deeply about their habitats and encourage creativity wherever they go. In their first literary adventure, Polar Bear, Fox, and Wolf head out on a journey to find some snacks. On their way, they must learn how to be kind and understanding of each other, and work together toward their goal.

Cute and heartwarming, The Grumpy Faces are sure to bring a smile to every reader’s face, while also helping kids understand their emotions and how to navigate the differences they see in those around them.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
28 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

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 

Beautifully illustrated with a cloth-like spine, this imaginative picture book shares an Inuk child's experience with gratitude and celebrates family connections from the newest siblings to cherished Elders.

A young boy, Kalluk, leaves his camp to tell his grandmother that his mother is about to have a baby. Along the way, Kalluk meets different animals and he asks them why they are so happy. The rabbits say they love to be fast enough to outrun the fox and clever enough to know when to hide. They are happy to protect each other from the winter wind: "I'd give you my tail if I could!" they say. A mother fox tells the boy her pups make her happy (and her pups say their mother makes them happy: "We would give her our tails if we could!" they say. Even the river and the wind have reasons to be happy. Kalluk's encounters with nature make him reflect on his gratitude for all it provides.

On the trip back, Kalluk and his grandmother talk about happiness, peace and choices. They speak to the ravens and get a lift from the wind right to Kalluk's doorstep. And waiting inside is a new baby sister! Holding her in his arms, Kalluk discovers a new reason to be thankful.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover

Siasi is always reminded by her parents to help others. 

In Inuit traditional values, helping others keeps the community strong and healthy.

Whether it’s helping her father with the fishing nets, making sure her little sister stays safe on her bike, or just helping to keep the house clean and tidy, Siasi learns that helping others can be fun and also feels pretty good inside!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

Hush my sweet one, close your eyes,

let me tell you a story of the Labrador skies.

This poem, written by Labrador Inuit author-illustrator Kayla Williams, takes readers on a lyrical journey through the skies of Labrador, showcasing all the beauty that makes “the Big Land” unique.

From snowmobiles gliding through silent forests to the snowy crunch of fur mukluks on the ice, the sights and sounds of Labrador are lovingly recreated for young readers.

This is our home of Labrador, the most beautiful place we could be!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 and under.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover 

Liitia can't wait to compete in the one-ski race, but she will need practice and a little help if she wants to win!

Liitia lives in Qausuittuq (Resolute Bay), Nunavut, where there is a one-ski race at the end of each spring. Liitia's grandma was always the fastest racer when she was a child, and Liitia wants to race too! She is determined to win the race at the end of the season, even with her old rusty one-ski. Join Liitia in this bilingual picture book as she prepares for the race with a little help from her Grandma.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Liitia’s One-Ski is about a young girl in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, who wants to race in a community one-ski competition. The story is inspired by a real championship that took place and the author’s memories of one-skiing while growing up in Resolute Bay.

In this story, Liitia learns the importance of trying your best and not giving up when faced with challenges as she works toward her dream. This story also demonstrates the value of good sportsmanship and supporting each other as the competition brings people together. 

This bilingual storybook is part of our Community Connections series, which is a collection of fun and engaging stories from Inuit authors that celebrate Nunavut communities.

Dual-language: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
27 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

A powerful and hopeful ode to Indigenous children.

Indigenous. Native. On this land, you may roam.
Child of the sun, on this land, you are home.

Of the Sun is an uplifting and mighty poem that wraps the Indigenous children of the Americas in reassuring words filled with hope for a brighter future and reminders of their bond and importance to the land. Each page fills them with pride and awe of their cultural heritage and invites them to unite and inspire change in the world.

Paired with powerful art reflecting cultures of various Indigenous Nations and Tribes, the poem offers all readers a sense of the history and majesty of the land we live on and how we can better care for ourselves and the world when we recognize our connection to the land and to each other.

Written by Xelena González, poet and activist in the Native and Latinx communities, and an enrolled member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation. Bold illustrations by prominent Anishinaabe illustrator Emily Kewageshig depict landscapes across the Americas and children from many backgrounds
Endnotes provide more information on Native and Indigenous unity and activism in younger generations

Reviews
"Of The Sun is a loving homage to the Indigenous peoples of this land—both in González’s beautiful, lyrical poem and Kewageshig’s warm, vibrant Anishinaabe-styled artwork. A wonderful read aloud you must add to bookshelves at home, at school, and in community!" - Traci Sorell, award-winning author of We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga and At The Mountain’s Base

"A luminous song, poem, promise
of cultures and connection,
of kinship and caring,
for Indigenous children across the continent." - Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Jingle Dancer

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Subjects / Themes / Topics Included: Indigenous Peoples in the Americas; Poetry; Land Connection; Inuit Clothing; Traditional Hair Bun (tsiiyéél); Concheros Dance; Three Sisters; La Danza de la Flor de Piña; Smoke Dance; Jingle Dress Dance; Manoomin (Wild Rice); English Words from Indigenous Languages; Indigenous Farming Practices; Bison; Land Back Movement.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 9.75" | Hardcover

Piujuq is a kind young woman who loves to take long walks on the tundra and dance by her favourite lake surrounded by butterflies. But one day, she encounters a stranger on her walk. When this person asks a favour of Piujuq, she happily obliges, and that kindness leaves Piujuq stuck in the body of a caterpillar. Alone, and thinking that no one could ever love her because of how she looks, Piujuq does not return to her camp. Instead, she lives a lonely life on the tundra as a caterpillar. Until one day, when another stranger appears . . .

Based on a traditional Inuit story, this tale of inner beauty, kindness, and magic is a perfect addition to any young reader's bookshelf.

Awards

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

Reviews
"Carolyn Gan's rich full-page images allow readers to better understand first Piujuq's beauty and connection to nature, and then her crippling loneliness. The immersive illustrations also make this text ideal for group read-alouds, a setting that would be useful for fully teasing out the nuances of this deceptively simple story's themes. More than just its moral, The Caterpillar Woman also emphasizes the importance of preserving Inuit traditions and language, particularly at the book's end when Piujuq draws on the "magic that existed when the world was new" (p. 27). The book closes with an Inuktitut Pronunciation Guide that helps readers to correctly pronounce the characters' names. A solid selection for school libraries, this book supports the social studies curriculum, as well as character education. Even more importantly, however, it strives to share and preserve the traditional Inuit lifestyle."— Resource Links

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.25" x 7.30" | Paperback

In a surprising and heart-warming story, Etua Snowball shares his childhood experience of meeting and befriending a baby caribou.

After a chance encounter with a herd of caribou, a fawn follows a young boy back to his cabin. The boy and fawn spend the summer together exploring the northern landscape, picking berries, and swimming in the lake. Then one day the boy and fawn get an unexpected visitor, and the boy must learn how to say goodbye to his furry friend.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is part of the My Wild Arctic Friends series.

Additional Information
28 pages | 8.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

Based on an ancient Inuit traditional story, this beautifully illustrated picture book tells of the appearance of the first humans on earth, and how from them all the peoples of the earth emerged. From a mound of simple dirt, through magic and intention, the world we know today slowly takes shape across the page.

Retold with loving care by Inuit author and actress Maika Harper, The First Peoples is both mythical and magical, an ancient tale brought to life for new generations.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover 

Learn about Nalijuit night, also known as Old Christmas night, a tradition in Inuit communities across Labrador!

In They Come Off the Ice, debut Inuit author Andrea Andersen introduces young readers to a unique celebration that takes place in Inuit communities across Labrador: Nalujuit night!

Each January 6th, also known as Old Christmas night, something comes lurking off the ice and into town. With their faces hidden, long sticks in their hands, and carrying bags full of . . . candy? The beings approach in the snowy darkness. What do they want?

Knock, Knock, Knock

Open the door if you dare!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover 

This tenderly told follow-up to the acclaimed To My Panik: To My Daughter highlights the unique beauty of a mother-son bond. In this lovingly told book, a mother recounts for her son all the things she loves about him, connecting each attribute to an element of the Arctic landscape or Inuit traditional life. Her son is strong, like a polar bear carrying its cubs across the frozen sea. He is gentle, like a delicate blade of cottongrass. He’s as steadfast as the spark that lights the campfire, and as invigorating as a sip of icy river water. This beautiful narrative of connection and love will warm the hearts of all readers.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
28 pages | 9.50" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

A pair of friends, Umingmak and Fox, haven't seen the sun for a long time.

Umingmak the muskox watches the sky growing darker in the winter months. Umingmak is surprised and a little scared! He asks his friend Fox: Why is it dark? Fox explains why it is so dark during the winter and brighter in the summer. Will talking to Fox help Umingmak feel better about his fear of the dark?

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

This book is part of the Umingmak and Fox series. Umingmak and Fox: Why Is It Dark? takes a playful look at seasons in the North, where winter can be long and dark.

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 7.50" | Hardcover