Kayuktuk: An Arctic Quest - Hardcover

Heinz, Brian J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0811804119 ISBN 13: 9780811804110

Publisher: Chronicle Books Llc, 1996

Synopsis

Young Aknik embarks on a perilous quest across the Arctic tundra to prove himself a brave and successful trapper, in an enthralling story of an Inupiat boy, set in the beautiful wilderness of the Arctic and including a glossary of indigenous terms.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews

Heinz (The Wolves, p. 1235) and Van Zyle team up for an involving glimpse of the lives of traditional I¤upiat people. Aknik is not allowed to be among the men of the village when they hunt agvik, the bowhead whale, because he fails to bring back meat from his carefully constructed snares. Something steals his bait, leaving no trace; the Shaman tells him that he must discover the identity of the one that empties his snares: ``Kayuktuk, the Shadow Without a Body.'' Aknik returns to his snares and waits, then trails a fox to its den, where he finds it feeding his bait to her kits. How to prove to the village that there was a thief? Aknik brings snow home and shows the others the paw print of the fox, explaining that he had not taken the mother's one pelt because there will be so many more in the fall. Readers never know whether Aknik's decision is based on a tradition of genuine wildlife management, or a nod to contemporary sensibilities regarding trapping. However, the lengthy text is dramatic; the paintings are a realistic accompaniment. (afterword, glossary) (Picture book. 5-9) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Set in the Alaskan Arctic, this picture book chronicles the story of a young I?upiat hunter who must find what is emptying his traps of snared ptarmigan. The village is skeptical of Aknik's stories and only through bringing back proof is he victorious. The public ridicule that the other boys and even Aknik's own father heap upon him seems out of place here; the tribe would usually be more accepting, more nurturing. The inclusion of I?upiat vocabulary and a glossary adds to the book's usefulness. The illustrations, acrylic on masonite board, ably done by a well-known Alaskan artist, portray the starkness of life on the tundra and the warmth of the people. (Although the fox does look more like a small wolf.) Beige end papers and borders with primitive sepia drawings give the volume an antique look. On the whole, Heinz's adventure tale has successfully captured a slice of life in the Arctic.
Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chronicle Books Llc
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0811804119
• ISBN 13: 9780811804110
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Van Zyle Jon