Amiqqaq is excited when his family catches a bowhead whale. As his family prepares to celebrate the traditional Iñupiaq whaling feast, Amiqqaq learns about the spirit-of-the-whale. At the first whaling feast of the season, a young Inupiat boy learns about the importance of the bowhead whale to his people and their culture. Includes facts about the Inupiat and the bowhead whale (Source).

Educators should note: at one point in the story, the term “Eskimo donuts” is used. This is a common name of this dessert in Inuit communities. The Inuit work for this dessert is “Putuligaaq.” “Esk*mo” is not an appropriate word for non-Inuit people to use, as it originated as a slur against these communities. Non-Inuit educators should exercise caution and discuss appropriate verbiage with students.

Author(s): Debby Dahl Edwardson & Annie Patterson

Debby Dahl Edwardson grew up in Minnesota, where she spent summers at her family cabin on an island in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. She earned a BA from Colorado College, attended Nansenskolen in Norway, and has lived for over thirty years in Barrow, the northernmost community in Alaska. She earned an MFA from Vermont College in 2005. Debby and her husband George have seven children. Her picture book, Whale Snow (Charlesbridge, 2003), was named to the IRA Notable Books for a Global Society and the CBC/NSST lists and was named Best Picture Book by IPPY. Her first novel, Blessing’s Bead (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009) was selected by the Junior Library Guild and named to the IRA Notable Books for a Global Society, ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, and Booklist’s Top 10 First Novels for Youth lists. Her novel, My Name is Not Easy, is a 2011 National Book Award Finalist (Source).

Annie Patterson is an artist and designer based in the Palouse region of the beautiful state of Idaho. They are usually busy making art and having fun with their family at their home in the country. Annie is inspired by nature, northern regions, couture fashion, libraries, and all of the animals that live on their farm (Source).