Welcome to Litsy!

Not sure if a pick or a so-so. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. This is not an Inuit tale, but rather an original pourqoui story about the origins of the inuksuit. The tale itself is nice, and the art is lovely, and I appreciate that the author makes a note in the preface that he chose this route because Inuit legends belong to the Inuit people to tell. Continued in comments.

Inuit tale about a polar bear adopted by a woman and how they take care of each other. Sweet, although my little boy was really bothered by the men who wanted to kill the polar bear. The illustrations are muted and expressive.

I have a thing for H. Norman. Even when I have to skim occasionally, I still experience that thing. He and I seem to have many similarities and I think we would get along quite well. This memoir is told in 5 chapters, with each chapter offering unique experiences. From working in a bookmobile as a teenager, to translating Inuit tales in the Arctic, to the stunning story of a murder-suicide by a house sitter in his DC home, his life fascinates me.

"But most of [this book] was written in Point Reyes, California, and Vermont, each a beautiful place I always hate to leave."

I wholeheartedly agree with Norman. Both of those places hold a special spot in my heart.

This is a fascinating book, mostly thanks to descriptions of the incredibly friendly and cheerful #Inuits and their way of life. The Norwegian Astrup seems like an open-minded and almost annoyingly optimistic fellow who actually spoke Greenlandic. While the introduction does mention his untimely death at 25 (yup, after TWO Greenland expeditions), it doesn't specify that he most likely killed himself. #arctic #polar