★ "Simple yet realistic cartoon illustrations of the isolated northern tundra complement the book's thematic content without overpowering the author's unique perspective. A meaningful portrait of a young child living and loving in a unique period of North American history." - Kirkus, starred review
ᐅᒃᐱᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᓪᓗᐊᕕᒃᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᒥᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒥ, ᐃᓚᒥᓂᒡᓗ. ᐃᓱᒪᑕᖅ ᓄᓇᖓ'ᓄᑦ ᑎᑭ'ᒪᑦ ᐅᒃᐱᐅᑉ ᐊᑖᑕᖓᓄᑦ ᓂᐅᕐᕈᑎᖃᕈᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᖁᑎᓂᒃ, ᐅᒃᐱᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑦᓯᐊᒥᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓱᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᑲᑭᐊᑦ, ᐱᓚᐅᑎᑦ, ᐊᓘᑎᓪᓗ ᓇᒃᓴᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᑖᑉᓱᒪ.
ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᕋᒥ, ᐅᒃᐱᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑦᓯᐊᒥᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᓂᒃ ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᖅᓴᐃᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓱᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᑖᑉᑯᐊ ᐱᖁᑎᑦ. ᓯᕗᓂ'ᓈᖓᓂ, ᐃᓱᒪᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᒪᖔᑕ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᐃᒪᙵᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓄᓇᖓ'ᓂ ᐊᓪᓚᕈᐃᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᐊᖅᒪᖔᑦ.
ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂᐅᒃ ᐊᓈᓇᑦᓯᐊᓂ, ᐅᒃᐱᒃ ᑐᑭᓯᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐊᓪᓚᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕋᓗᐊᕈᓂᓘᓐᓃᑦ, ᓇᒡᓕᖕᓂᖓ ᐃᓚᒥᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᓄᓪᓗ ᐊᓪᓚᕈᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓂᐊᙱᓪᓗᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅ.
ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑎ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᒥᒃ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖅᓴᐅᓯᐊᖅᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᒻᖏᖅᑎᓪᓗᐊᕕᐅᑉᓗᓂᓗ ᓲᓴᓐ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ, ᑖᒻᓇ ᑕᑯᒥᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖅ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓚᒌᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᓗ, ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖅᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ.
Ukpik loves living in her camp in the North with her family. When a captain from the south arrives to trade with Ukpik's father, Ukpik is excited to learn how to use the forks, knives, and spoons he brings with him.
At first, Ukpik enjoys teaching the other children how to use these new tools. But soon, she starts to wonder if they'll need to use the new tools all the time, and if that means that everything in camp will change.
After a conversation with her grandmother, Ukpik realizes that even though she will learn many new things, her love for her family and camp will never change.
"...[A] wonderful look at how different life can be for people of the Arctic." - Calgary Herald
