Kamik's First Sled

Jake's puppy is growing quickly, but as Jake soon realizes, he isn't becoming any easier to handle. All Jake wants is to raise his puppy to be a strong, fast sled dog, but Kamik is far from ready to pull a sled with a dog team. With some advice and a little help from his grandmother, Jake learns basic principles of how to begin training a dog to pull. Kamik finally has his first sled, and he and Jake can finally begin exploring the tundra together. But Jake and Kamik are still inexperienced, and when a blizzard starts blowing in across the tundra, Jake must rely on his knowledge to get home. Inspired by the life memories of Arviat, Nunavut, elder Matilda Sulurayok, this book lovingly recreates basic dog-rearing practices that even the youngest dog lover can try.

Matilda Sulurayok is an elder who resides in Arviat, Nunavut. She was born and raised on the land near Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut. She was raised by her parents and her grandmother, and she remembers much of what her grandmother taught her. Matilda’s family lived a traditional life and raised several sled dogs. Kamik’s First Sled is the first book to be based on Matilda’s memories of traditional dog rearing. Matilda worked at the Andy Aulatjut Elder Centre as a caregiver for many years before she retired. She is a talented seamstress and enjoys sewing. She loves working with sealskins and makes beautiful kamiks.

Qin Leng was born in Shanghai and lived in France and Montreal. She now lives and works as a designer and illustrator in Toronto. Her father, an artist himself, was a great influence on her. She grew up surrounded by paintings, and it became second nature for her to express herself through art. She graduated from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and has received many awards for her animated short films and artwork. Qin has always loved to illustrate the innocence of children and has developed a passion for children’s books. She has illustrated numerous picture books for publishers in Canada, the United States, and South Korea.