Illustrated by Marcus Cutler
3 stars
A humorous rendition of Inuit folklore showing that you don’t always get it right on the first try. During the creation of the world, Guk breathes life into two animals. A walrus whom she gives a large pair of antlers and a caribou with a set of long tusks. However, their designs aren’t quite right, causing the hunters to complain. Guk must find a solution.
A fun story with dynamic illustrations. I really enjoyed the art style.
Because it is a traditional folktale, there are some details that may not mesh well for modern readers. One of the animals is kicked as punished for the mischief it causes. This explains some of the other design differences and its timid behavior around humans. It does serve a purpose in the story, but may be worth critically examining in a modern context.
At the back of the book is a short pronunciation guide for the Inuktitut words used in the story.
Definitely worth the read especially to discuss folklore and creation stories.