Arctic Adventures: Tales from the Lives of Inuit Artists - Hardcover

Rivera, Raquel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0888997140 ISBN 13: 9780888997142

Publisher: Groundwood Books, 2007

Synopsis

Extreme weather, hunger, magic, hunting, and the land are themes that shape the existence of the Inuits’ of the Far North. These stories retold by Raquel Rivera based on the lives of native artists Pudlo Pudlat, Jessie Oonark, Kenojuak Ashevak and Lazarusie Ishulutuk offer young readers a glimpse into this rich, remote culture, past and present. In Pudlo and Kapik Go Hunting,” a young boy drifts out to sea on an ice floe; Oonark's Arctic Adventure” tells of a mother and daughter stranded on the icy tundra; The Shaman’s Granddaughter” movingly explores loss and mystery; and Lazarusie and the Polar Bears” reveals just how finely attuned the relationship between animals and humans can be. Accompanying each story are illustrations by Jirina Marton, who has spent time in the Arctic and whose deep appreciation for its subtle beauty shines through her art. In addition to the stories, there is a feature spread on each artist with a photograph, a brief biography, and a reproduction of one of the artist’s works.

About this title

About the Author:

Raquel Rivera has a degree in fine arts and has worked as a copywriter, freelance writer and illustrator, photographer's assistant, and a teacher of English and life drawing. Visit her author website at www.raquelriverawashere.com for news, reviews and video readings. Raquel lives in Montreal with her family.

Jirina Marton has exhibited her paintings throughout Europe, Canada and Japan. She has illustrated many children's books, including Little Book of Northern Tales: The Bear Says North by Bob Barton, Arctic Adventures: Tales from the Lives of Inuit Artists by Raquel Rivera, Marja's Skis by Jean E. Pendziwol, which was a Governor General's Literary Award finalist for illustration, and Bella's Tree by Janet Russell, which won the 2009 Governor General's Literary Award for illustration. Jirina lives in North York, Ontario.

Review:

...[this] book has a lot to offer. (Multicultural Review 2007-08-01)

Beautiful illustrations...show the individual people and creatures in the Arctic landscape close up, sometimes with an edge of magical realism. (Booklist 2007-07-01)

Rivera's unpretentious storytelling is perfectly suited to these tales, which resonate with mythic force...evidence that an alien way of life can be powerfully transmuted and shared. (Toronto Star 2007-07-07)

This book beautifully balances stories that document a vanishing way of life, aboriginal art, and information about the Arctic. Children will thoroughly enjoy the stories, and teachers will relish this contribution to the all-too-scarce resources for the curriculum about Canada's North. It is a little gem. (CM Magazine 2007-08-31)

This book, a must for bookstores, rates as a sophisticated and innovative introduction to Inuit art and culture and is one of the best Canadian children's non-fiction titles to emerge so far in 2007. (Canadian Bookseller 2007-07-01)

Through the simple and effective technique of narrating dramatic episodes in the lives of four Inuit artists...Rivera gives us a taste of a vanished way of life, a sense of the unimaginable hardships that shaped these artists' characters, and a glimpse of their work that grew so organically from their experiences on the land...Marton's artistry makes the reader experience the uncertainty and thrill of visual discovery. (Quill & Quire, STARRED REVIEW 2007-05-01)

...a clever way to introduce art to young readers and works seamlessly to offer up both a compelling story and the beauty of a lesser-known art. (Today's Parent 2007-09-07)

...a delightful book and the illustrations bring the story beautifully to life. It is well worth adding to any collection... (Resource Links 2007-11-07)

...a great story-time read...four stars. (Sarah's Stars 2007-09-07)

...a wealth of information on Inuit culture, both past and present... (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 2007-10-07)

About this edition

• Publisher: Groundwood Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0888997140
• ISBN 13: 9780888997142
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 36
• Illustrator: Marton Jirina