The Giant Bear (English): An Inuit Folktale - Hardcover

Angutingunrik, Jose

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1927095034 ISBN 13: 9781927095034

Publisher: Inhabit Media, 2012

Synopsis

One of the most terrifying creatures to be found in traditional Inuit stories is the nanurluk, a massive bear the size of an iceberg that lives under the sea ice. Its monstrous size and ice-covered fur make it an almost impenetrable foe. But when a lone hunter spots the breathing hole of the nanurluk on the sea ice near his iglu, he quickly uses his quick thinking and excellent hunting skills to hatch a plan to outsmart the deadly bear.

Jose Angutingunrik, a gifted storyteller and respected elder from Kugaaruk, Nunavut, brings to life a story of the great nanurluk that has been told in the Kugaaruk region for generations.

About this title

About the Author

Jose Angutinngurniq was born at the head of an inlet after his parents returned from a walrus hunt in the area of Arviligjuaq, Nunavut. He grew up in the Natsilik region of Nunavut, around the Taloyoak area, in a community called Ittuaqturvik. Jose first heard the story of The Giant Bear from his grandfather Alakannuaq, who lived to be very old. When babies were born, the first person to hold the child became the sanaji, the one who forms the characteristics of the child. Alakannuaq formed Jose into who he is today.Eva Widermann is a graduate of the graphic and design program at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. She worked as a graphic designer for many years before she decided to pursue her long-term dream of becoming a freelance illustrator and concept artist. Her art is deeply influenced by an unusual combination of Franco-Belgian comics, manga, and anime.

Reviews

Gr 2-4-A storyteller recounts a traditional tale that his grandfather told about a colossal polar bear, a "nanurluk," a survivor of the days long ago when giants roamed the Arctic hunting the huge creatures. In this simply told story, an Inuit man living near the edge of the sea comes upon a large hole in the ice, an "aglu," where a huge bear sleeps in the deep water. To protect his wife and home from the predatory creature, he quickly devises a plan that involves scooping water from the hole and pouring it over the aglu's icy sides. The freezing water thickens its walls until the great bear can no longer fit through. Seeing the man through the ice, the bear claws at the hole until its huge head pokes out, allowing the man to stab at the creature's eyes and nose with his harpoon, taking away its senses of sight and smell. Later, following the bear's trail, the man finds the huge creature dead on the ground, now a source of many meals for the couple. Widermann's double-page paintings of the snow-and-ice landscape sandwiched between clouded blue sky and icy blue-black water clearly show the man's minuscule size in relation to that of the immense nanurluk; the soft fur and leather of the couple's clothing; and the warmth of the fire-lit igloo interior. Several scenes show the vividly bloodied bear against the icy landscape. Pencil sketches of the roaring animal's massive head fill the endpapers. A foreword briefly introduces creatures of Inuit lore. Despite the rather gruesome details of the bear's demise, larger collections seeking Inuit folklore may want to consider this authentically recounted tale.-Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Heights Public Library, OHα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Inhabit Media
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1927095034
• ISBN 13: 9781927095034
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Widermann Eva
• Number of pages: 32