Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Allashua and her family outwit the Qallupilluit from keeping Allashua's brothers and sisters under ice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Keeping promises
The Qallupilluq is an imaginary Inuit creature that lives on Hudson Bay, according to the book's afterward. This troll-like thing wears a parka made of loon feathers and is said to grab children when they walk near the cracks in the ice.

This creature was invented much like others' hobgoblins, to frighten children into listening to their parents.

This version of an encounter with the Qallupilluit comes from Michael Kusugak, an Inuit man who was raised in the Arctic. He sent it to Robert Munsch, who had stayed with Kusugak's family while visiting Rankin Inlet in Canada's Northwest Territories.

The result is a dance with some of the greater truths that transcend all cultures.

--Alyssa A. Lappen ... Read more

Product Description

Acclaimed Inuit storyteller Michael Kusugak weaves a tapestry of tales about ten-year-old Agatha and her accidental heroism in the high Arctic of 1958. The first of Agatha's stories is based on one of Kusugak's real life experiences, when an eerie, black airship flew over Chesterfield Inlet in 1958. A sleepy Agatha "saves" the community from the monstrous flying object.

In the second story, Agatha notices the playful antics of the winter ravens and takes an interest in the many migrating birds. As the seasons change, she begins to favor more beautiful and peaceful birds of spring, until the ravens return.

The third of Agatha's stories takes place in the fall when Agatha is sent to school in Chesterfield Inlet, an English-speaking community south of her home. During an afternoon of skating, Agatha rescues a show-off priest, who has inadvertently demonstrated the danger of thin ice.

The three Agatha stories resonate with the nostalgia and affection of Kusugak's childhood memories.

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Michael (Arvaarluk) Kusugak, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1591 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Product Description

Never having seen trees, the children in Repulse Bay decide that the funny things sent them one year must actually be baseball bats.

An autobiographical tale from Michael Kusugak's childhood tells a story of life in the arctic, and easily different cultures can interpret things differently.

Product Description
Annick Press proudly celebrates the 10th anniversary of a treasured book. Whether as a returning reader or a first-time visitor, children of many ages will treasure Michael Kusugak's world of animals and adventure in the Arctic Circle.

On each spread in My Arctic 1, 2, 3, readers discover counting and creatures, and learn who's predator and who's prey. They witness five Arctic foxes hunting six furry siksiks. They watch seven fisherman catch eight Arctic char. Numbers explored include 1 to 10, 20, 100 and even 1,000,000 (millions of berries ripen in the fall).

Each scene, rendered in Vladyana Krykorka's breathtaking paintings, is awash in Arctic colors and includes the depicted number in English and Inuktitut. For those wanting more Inuit info, a special end section by Arctic-native Kusugak recounts his experiences living in the north alongside the animals featured in the book.

With all these Arctic animals and number fun, it's no surprise My Arctic 1, 2, 3 has become a classic for families to share and cherish. ... Read more

Product Description

Inuit author Michael Kusugak (A Promise is a Promise, Baseball Bats for Christmas) again demonstrates that he is a masterful writer. A mythological figure and traditional Inuit practices, set the backdrop for this dramatic story.

Allashua ignores the inuksugaq as she plays hide-and-seek. Soon she encouters an Ijiraq--a tiny half-bird, half-human creature who loves to play. Allashua remembers her mother telling her that if an Ijiraaq hides you, no one will ever find you again. Eventually Ijiraq disappears and Allashua gets lost on the tundra. With no idea of which way to go, she heads toward a small block dot on a far-off hill. When Allashua realizes the dot is the inuksugaq and that it can guide her safely home, she understands the riddle of its existence.

Customer Reviews (1)

Extraordinary!
Everything about this book is extraordinary; the story, the characters, the creatures, the elaborate illustrations, and the details about the environment without being teachy.

As a third grade teacher, I am always looking for stories from other cultures - having seen Michael Kusugak's name on a book by one of our favorite authors, Robert Munsch (A Promise is a promise), I looked for more of Michael's book.

What a treasure we found in Hide and Sneak. In the story, the children of the Arctic are told fables designed to protect them from the dangers of the surrounding environment. In Hide and Sneak they are warnedof a tundra spirit, a Ijaraq,that will lead them into danger - perhaps death - by hiding them away never to be found again.

Of course one little girl does not heed the warning and the tail changes into a childhood thriller!

The actual reading of the story is a bit difficult do to the unfamiliarity of the names. The Native words are approached with caution when reading aloud to third graders. The story iscompletely comprehensible, do in large part to the beautifully detailed illustrations.

As a following activity to reading this book - my students created very miniature 'inuksugaqs'. They are beautiful little structures that might help us keep our homework from getting lost. ... Read more

Product Description
The award-winning team of Michael Kusugak and Vladyana Langer Krykorka are back with a new tale about how mountains were actually moved during the Yukon gold rush.

Little Mountain is happy. All about her, there are big mountains, birds and forest life. She speaks to the world through the breeze and invites all to come and live with her. People come. Animals come. Birds come. And life is good.

Old Joe the prospector also comes. He has a pick, a shovel and a pan, and he is looking for gold and silver. Old Joe wants to be rich, very rich. When Joe finds a golden nugget he makes the mistake of announcing his find at the top of his lungs! "Gold!" he yells. And then a long line of prospectors arrives from all over the world hoping to find gold for themselves. They chip away at the mountains surrounding Little Mountain. They lay claims and mine for riches. Little Mountain watches sadly as North Mountain is reduced to rubble. And then another mountain is brought down, and another.

Poor Old Joe watches those around him get rich every time he yells, "Gold!" But he still hasn't found wealth. Finally he climbs Little Mountain and, to keep the others away, decides to play a trick. "Rocks!" he yells. Well, no one wants rocks, so they leave Joe and Little Mountain alone. Then Joe climbs Big Mountain to the east of Little Mountain and yells "Rocks!" again. Once more, the prospectors stay away. The trick has worked.

Feeling sad that he has never struck it rich, Joe sits down and looks across to Little Mountain. Suddenly, he realizes that he has indeed found the riches he has been looking for his whole life: before him is an incredible sight. Birds, rabbits, trees, cool streams, fresh air and the sounds of nature surround him, and he is happy. Both Little Mountain and Old Joe sigh, "Thank God for Rocks."

Michael Kusugak is the author of the popular "Baseball Bats for Christmas," "Hide and Sneak," "Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails," "A Promise is a Promise," "My Arctic 1,2,3" and "Arctic Stories," all of which are illustrated by Vladyana.

Vladyana Langer Krykorka is the award-winning illustrator of Michael Kusugak's stories and other picture books for children. She resides in Toronto. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Promises, promises
The Qallupilluq is an imaginary Inuit creature that lives on Hudson Bay, according to the book's afterward. This troll-like thing wears a parka made of loon feathers and is said to grab children when they walk near the cracks in the ice.

This creature was invented much like others' hobgoblins, to frighten children into listening to their parents.

This version of an encounter with the Qallupilluit comes from Michael Kusugak, an Inuit man who was raised in the Arctic. He sent it to Robert Munsch, who had stayed with Kusugak's family while visiting Rankin Inlet in Canada's Northwest Territories.

The result is a dance with some of the great truths that transcend most cultures.

---Alyssa A. Lappen ... Read more

Product Description

Northern Lights is a beautiful tale that explores the mystical aspects of the northern lights in Inuit culture.

Scientists have their own explanations for the phenomenon that occurs when the night sky shimmers with milky white patterns, or displays all the colors of the rainbow. But the Inuit prefer their own explanation: They believe the souls of the dead are engaging in a lively game of soccer, just as they did when they were living. They run all over the sky chasing a walrus head that they use for a soccer ball.

This is the story of Kataujaq and the intimate relationship she has with her mother. They do almost everything together; they hug, rub noses and say "Mamaq" which means "You smell so nice." But a great sickness comes and Kataujaq's mother is taken south to the white people's hospital and never comes back. Kataujaq grieves, but is also able to rejoice when she and her grandmother watch the northern lights.

This book celebrates family life, intimacy and the glory of nature.

Customer Reviews (1)

Northern Lights: the Soccer Trails
This award winning picture book is the story of Kataujaq, a young girl living in Canada's arctic who loses her mother to a sudden illness. Kauaujaq greatly misses her mother, and several years pass with her dealingwith her grief on her own. It is explained that the people of her villagelike to play soccer out on the sea ice under the moonlight, using a caribouskin ball stuffed with moss and fur.Her grandmothertells her that thethousands of thin strands of light moving about in the northern lightsabove them are really the souls of those that have passed on, playingsoccer with a huge, frozen walrus head.This greatly consoles Kataujak asshe feels her mother's presence, and no longer feels as lonely.

Full ofCanadian content, the text and illustrations realistically convey manyaspects of life in Canada's north.Highly recommended as a read-aloud forchildren in grades 1-2. ... Read more