An enchanting and utterly authentic introduction to the life of an Inuit child and her world.
Written and illustrated by Ningeokuluk Teevee, one of the most interesting young artists in Cape Dorset, home to the great tradition of Inuit art, this is a beautifully simple story, written in Inuktitut and English, about a young Inuit girl who goes to the shore with her grandmother to collect clams for supper. Along the way she discovers tide pools brimming with life – a bright orange starfish, a creepy-crawly thing with many legs called an ugjunnaq, a hornshaped sea snail and a sculpin. This is an enchanting and utterly authentic introduction to the life of an Inuit child and her world.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
An enchanting and utterly authentic introduction to the life of an Inuit child and her world.
Written and illustrated by Ningeokuluk Teevee, one of the most interesting young artists in Cape Dorset, home to the great tradition of Inuit art, this is a beautifully simple story, written in Inuktitut and English, about a young Inuit girl who goes to the shore with her grandmother to collect clams for supper. Along the way she discovers tide pools brimming with life – a bright orange starfish, a creepy-crawly thing with many legs called an ugjunnaq, a hornshaped sea snail and a sculpin. This is an enchanting and utterly authentic introduction to the life of an Inuit child and her world.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Aug 1, 2009 |
Specifications | 24 pages | 7.63 in x 9.63 in |
Keywords | Baffin Island; |
Supporting Resources
(select item to download) |
Teacher's Guide |
Written By |
NINGEOKULUK TEEVEE, an exceptionally gifted artist, is one of the major contributors to the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection, which is distributed to art galleries across North America. Much of her art draws on the Inuit stories and legends that she heard as a child, although this book recalls her childhood experiences of digging for clams with her grandmother. She lives with her family in Kinnigait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut. |
Illustrated by |
NINGEOKULUK TEEVEE, an exceptionally gifted artist, is one of the major contributors to the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection, which is distributed to art galleries across North America. Much of her art draws on the Inuit stories and legends that she heard as a child, although this book recalls her childhood experiences of digging for clams with her grandmother. She lives with her family in Kinnigait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut. |
Written By |
NINGEOKULUK TEEVEE, an exceptionally gifted artist, is one of the major contributors to the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection, which is distributed to art galleries across North America. Much of her art draws on the Inuit stories and legends that she heard as a child, although this book recalls her childhood experiences of digging for clams with her grandmother. She lives with her family in Kinnigait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut. |
Illustrated by |
NINGEOKULUK TEEVEE, an exceptionally gifted artist, is one of the major contributors to the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection, which is distributed to art galleries across North America. Much of her art draws on the Inuit stories and legends that she heard as a child, although this book recalls her childhood experiences of digging for clams with her grandmother. She lives with her family in Kinnigait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut. |
Audience | ages 3 to 7 / grades P to 2 |
Key Text Features | map; introduction; glossary |
Common Core |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1 |
Short-listed, Governor General's Literary Award: Illustration, 2009
Commended, USBBY Outstanding International Books, 2010
Commended, Resource Link's Year's Best, 2010
“Graphite and color pencil illustrations lend an innocence and simplicity to this unique tale.” —School Library Journal
“The drawings by the author are delightfully expressive...” —Multicultural Review
“...[The] English translation [of the Inuktitut] is sprinkled with musical words from the original...a harmonious universally recognizable shared time between a child and her affectionate grandparents.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Complementary in both forms of language, and accompanied by exquisite drawings, this book introduces the Canadian north and Inuit culture through a reading experience that will bridge to more conversation and understanding of places and cultures that seem far away.” —Resource Links