I’m thrilled today to share several new releases from Inhabit Media. Inhabit Media is an Inuit-owned publishing company, with a head office in Iqaluit, in Nunavut. Inhabit Media has an important mission. To quote their website,
Since 2006, Inhabit Media has been working to encourage Inuit and non-Inuit Arctic residents to share their stories and their knowledge, and to record the oral history of our home. One of our aims is to ensure that Arctic voices are heard and that they have the opportunity to contribute to Canadian literature. Since our inception, Inhabit Media has been working with elders and storytellers to ensure that the rich story-telling culture of the Inuit is preserved and passed on. As well, we have been working with elders, hunters, and knowledgeable residents to ensure that the rich traditional knowledge about the environment is not lost.
Ukpik lives with her family in a small camp in the Arctic. When a ship arrives from the south to trade with Ukpik’s people, Ukpik is at first fascinated by all the strange items the ship’s captain brings, like forks, spoons and knives. But Ukpik can’t help but worry about how these new items and new experiences will change her family’s life. Things are just fine the way they are, why do they have to change?
Ukpik’s wise grandmother reassures her that while change can be scary sometimes, it can also provide exciting new opportunities. The new items from the south can make some aspects of their lives easier and better, but the most important elements of their lives, like the love they share for each other and for their home need never change. And the exchanges they are having with the southern captain aren’t one-sided – they might be receiving everyday goods from the captain, but they are also sharing their skills, knowledge, hospitality and the wonders of their northern homeland with their visitors.
Award-winning musician and trailblazer Susan Aglugark was inspired to write Una Huna? by her own period of “reflection, writing, and songwriting” and her growing understanding of the “importance of discovery – discovery of history, culture and self”. To quote Aglukark’s author note, the Inuit are “an extraordinary people deeply grounded in a culture forged by their ancestors”, but they are also fully realized members of the modern world. Aspects of everyday life might change over time, but the most important elements of tradition and culture are deeply embedded in the heart.
It’s time for Siasi to go to bed, but she’s just not ready yet! Why would she want to brush her teeth or put away her toys when there are polar bears to dance with, wolves to howl with or rabbits to hop with?
It’s Time for Bed is so much fun, with its energetic protagonist and adorable animal characters. Siasi is an imaginative child that many kids (and parents) will immediately relate to, and it’s fantastic to see animals native to Canada get the star treatment! This story would work fantastically as a read-aloud, as there are great opportunities for kids to get involved – they can honk, swim, run, dance and more!
And of course, after all that activity, it’s time for a pooped Siasi to finally fall asleep, with all her animal friends around her.
Interactive and fun, It’s Time for Bed is definitely a must-add picture book for your collection.
Be sure to check out Una Huna? What Is This? and It’s Time for Bed at your local bookstore or library, and help support a great independent publishing company!
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