Arctic Giants
by Neil Christopher
illustrated by Eva Widermann
Inhabit Media, 2011
ISBN 978-1-926569-09-3
$24.95, 176 pp, ages 8+
www.inhabitmedia.com
This is a beautifully illustrated treasury of stories for children (and adults) of giants from Inuit folklore. Different tribes and races are catalogued within the two main parts of the book: Inugaruligasugjuit (The Lesser Giants) and Inukpasugjuit (The Great Giants). Traditionally these stories would have been recited from memory—shared by elders or travellers—so I encourage you to read them aloud. A pronunciation guide for the giants’ names is available for reference at the front of the book. Children will delight in the tales about giants known as the walrus hunter, the whale hunter, the wicked crone, the cannibal, or the giant who adopted a human. These stories are sure to fascinate children and make them, in turn, storytellers.
Classroom Connections: This would be a wonderful addition to any classroom library or children’s storybook collection. Amazing characters inhabit these stories and provide teachers, at multiple grade levels, with lots of material for teaching their students to visualize from the text. Drawing, painting and printmaking are just some of the activities that might springboard from making mental images of these Arctic giants.
Review by Amanda Forbes.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s May/June 2012 issue.
