Kamik's First Sled

September 15, 2015
This Canadian import recounts a winter afternoon of an Inuit boy named Jake and his sled dog puppy, Kamik. A companion to Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story, by Donald Uluadluak and illustrated by Leng (2013), this story is based on the recollections of Sulurayok, an Inuit elder from Nunavut. In the book, Jake and his puppy are staying with his grandmother in her house. She encourages Jake in his training of Kamik and sends the pair out onto the snowy tundra to practice with a simple sealskin sled. The fairly lengthy story describes their training session and their trip back home during a sudden blizzard. Soft-focus watercolor-and-pencil illustrations capture the antics of the dog and his young master as well as the drama of the ride through the swirling blizzard. The story places readers directly into the setting and the plot, with no concessions to non-Inuit audiences, such as a map, glossary, or pronunciation guide. A few words are not defined by context, such as bannock (a type of bread) and Inuktitut (an Inuit language), and other words are difficult for non-native speakers to pronounce without guidance, such as the grandmother's name, Anaanatsiaq, and Tuhaaji, the dog's Inuktitut name. An exciting tale of boy-and-puppy bonding for Inuit children, this story is also accessible to non-Inuit readers willing to meet Kamik and Jake out on the tundra. (Picture book. 4-9)

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October 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Jake is anxious to train Kamik, his rambunctious Siberian Husky puppy, as a sled dog. His supportive grandmother gives him some sage advice based on her own experiences helping her father train his dogs when she was young. The grandmother packs them a picnic and suggests that he take Kamik out of town so he won't be distracted by the other dogs. When Jake opens his picnic pack, he finds an old sealskin and dog harness. He is able to teach Kamik the commands for left and right turns but realizes only after the dog takes off after an arctic hare that he hasn't taught him "whoa." They are now far from town, and when storm clouds gather, Jake is frightened. However, Kamik's instincts lead them through the storm straight back to his grandmother's house. Jake now feels assured that Kamik will grow into a strong, smart sled dog. The author has adapted the stories from her own memories growing up near Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. The text is clearly written but is a bit long and wordy for the intended age group. The watercolor illustrations seem rather static, even when Kamik is running at full speed. VERDICT An additional purchase for large collections.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

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