On the Shoulder of a Giant

Neil Christopher

Description

Selected for the Inkspokes Book Awards!

Inukpak was big, even for a giant. He loved to travel across the tundra, striding over the widest rivers and wading through the deepest lakes with ease. He could walk across the Arctic in just a few days.

But being so big, and travelling so far, Inukpak was often alone. Until one day, when he came across a little hunter on the tundra. Thinking that the hunter was a little boy, alone on the land, Inukpak decided to adopt him as his son.

And so, from the shoulder of one of the biggest giants to ever roam the Arctic, this hunter embarked on a series of adventures only a giant could enjoy!

". . . Nelson’s richly developed artwork playfully emphasizes the hunter’s plight while making it clear that the giant is friendly and caring . . ." - Publisher’s Weekly

". . . a singularly fun and interesting take on the whole giant genre." - School Library Journal

Sujets

• Juvenilee Fiction
• Esquimal
• Men
• Boys
• Canadians
• Inuit
• Indigenous
• Columbus Day
• Arctic
• Canadian
• Iqaluit
• Nunavut
• Inuktitut
• Inuits

Informations

• Publié par: Inhabit Media
• Date de parution: 06 avril 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781772271058
• Langue: English

Extrait

Published in Canada by Inhabit Media Inc. www.inhabitmedia.com
Inhabit Media Inc.
Iqaluit Office , P.O. Box 11125, Iqaluit, Nunavut, X0A 1H0 Toronto Office , 146A Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1C3
Design and layout copyright 2015 Inhabit Media Inc. Text copyright 2015 by Neil Christopher Illustrations by Jim Nelson copyright 2015 Inhabit Media Inc.
All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrievable system, without written consent of the publisher, is an infringement of copyright law.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program.
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Book Fund program.
Printed and bound in Canada
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Christopher, Neil, 1972-, author
On the shoulder of a giant : an Inuit folktale by Neil Christopher ; illustrated by Jim Nelson.
ISBN 978-1-77227-002-0 bound
1. Inuit--Folklore. I. Nelson, Jim, 1962-, illustrator II. Title.
E99.E7C546475 2015
j398.209719 5
C2015-900418-7

Introduction
When I first arrived in the Arctic, everything was new to me-the land without trees, the frozen ocean, the winter storms, and the unique wildlife. But it was the stories that captured my attention so completely. I have always loved legends and myths. When I was a child, my parents would end the day with stories, and the stories with monsters and magic were my favourite. So, when northerners started sharing stories with me, I listened closely. And when I could not find anyone around to tell me more stories, I started spending time reading old books and archives. I wanted to learn more about the legends and myths from my Arctic home.
My favourite stories were the ones with giants in them. Over the years, as I encountered more and more stories, I began to notice how many stories involve giants. It seems that in ancient times the Arctic was home to many giants. But one giant in particular kept appearing in the stories of each Arctic region I explored. It was my research on this great giant that inspired this book. He is called by different names in each region, but he can be easily recognized, as he was the only giant who adopted an Inuit hunter as his son.
So, if there is only one Arctic giant story you take the time to learn about, this is the one to remember. And, if you are like me, this story will start your exploration into the world of Arctic giants. Have fun
Neil Christopher Iqaluit, Nunavut
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