How Nivi Got Her Names - Softcover

Deal, Laura

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1772271373 ISBN 13: 9781772271379

Publisher: Inhabit Media, 2017

Synopsis

Nivi has always known that her names were special, but she does not know where they came from. So, one sunny afternoon, Nivi decides to ask her mom how she got her names. The stories of the people Nivi is named after lead her to an understanding of traditional Inuit naming practices and knowledge of what those practices mean to Inuit. How Nivi Got Her Names is an easy-to-understand introduction to traditional Inuit naming, with a story that touches on Inuit custom adoption.

About this title

About the Author

Laura Deal was born and raised in a small farming town in Nova Scotia. As a young adult, drawn to adventure, she climbed aboard an airplane for the first time ever and moved to Iqaluit, Nunavut. Laura immediately found appreciation for the culture, beauty of the land, and simplicity of northern life. Since 2005, she has rooted herself in the Canadian Arctic and started a family. A firsttime author, Laura wrote How Nivi Got Her Names for her daughter, Niviaq, who was adopted through Inuit custom adoption.

Charlene Chua worked as a web designer, senior graphic designer, web producer, and interactive project manager before she decided to pursue illustration as a career. Her work has appeared in American Illustration, Spectrum, and SILA’s Illustration West, as well as several art books. She illustrated the children’s picture books Julie Black Belt: The Kung Fu Chronicles and Julie Black Belt: The Belt of Fire. She lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with her husband and two cats.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—Deal offers an explanation of Inuit naming customs in this tale about young Nivi, who is exploring the meaning and reason for each of her five names. The book starts with a two-page introduction to Inuit traditions and how they differ from Western ways of naming. The narrative follows Nivi as she plays with her mother and asks the history of each of her names. The illustrations are playful and inviting and help bring to life the oral storytelling tradition. Inuktitut words are sprinkled throughout, with a glossary highlighting the words at the end. ("'Baabi was an intelligent and kind soul,' Nivi's mother said with a smile. 'A man full of integrity and character and a special family friend. He appeared one night in a dream your anaana had.'") Nivi has been adopted through an Inuit custom in which a pregnant woman provides her child to someone who needs one. VERDICT An informative picture book that is useful for introducing concepts of Inuit culture, naming, and adoption but is best shared one-on-one.—Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID

About this edition

• Publisher: Inhabit Media
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1772271373
• ISBN 13: 9781772271379
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 36
• Illustrator: Chua Charlene