On the Shoulder of a Giant

Starred review from June 15, 2015
Inukpak, a bearded giant so big “he could walk from one end of the Arctic to the other in just a few days,” mistakes an Inuit hunter for a child and adopts him in this entertaining retelling. The hunter accepts his role as Inukpak’s “son” for fear of upsetting the giant, waiting on shore while he catches them a “sculpin” to eat (it turns out to be a bowhead whale). Rendered in a milky palette that captures the vast seas and skies of the Arctic setting, Nelson’s richly developed artwork playfully emphasizes the hunter’s plight while making it clear that the giant is friendly and caring, despite his goofs. A good pick for readers eager to learn about giants beyond Paul Bunyan and Goliath. Ages 5–7.

June 1, 2015
"Inukpak was huge, even for a giant." He can cover the breadth of the Arctic in just a few days and wades into the ocean to fish for whales. One day Inukpak happens upon a lone hunter on the tundra, and mistaking the man for a lost child, he scoops the tiny human up and continues on his walk. Christopher effectively plays the extreme size differential for laughs, as when Inukpak catches a bowhead whale but calls it a small fish. Exhibiting a great deal of equanimity, the hunter decides he might as well just accept his genial new "father," and the two live happily ever after. Nelson's paintings also milk the size disparity for humor; Inukpak is usually painted as if from a low vantage, foreshortening emphasizing the giant's humongous feet. The enormous bone necklace he wears bears silent witness to the "very large" polar bears he's accustomed to, explaining how he mistakes a regular-sized one for a lemming. A foreword introduces Christopher's interest in the tales of the Inuit in general and this oft-repeated one in particular; an afterword provides further information about Inukpak's kin, the great giants, as well as the lesser giants and the colossal polar bears they have hunted almost to extinction. Kids will readily warm to this gentle giant from the frozen North. (Picture book/folk tale. 5-8)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 1-4-In this folktale, Inukpak is a large giant who comes across a human hunter and believes he is a child. The giant picks up the hunter and adopts him, carrying him far away from his home. The friendly giant cares for the hunter, feeding him a fish, which is really a whale, and making a shelter for his new companion in his boot. The hunter is perplexed as to why the giant thinks the bowhead whale is just a small sculpin. The hunter knows he will not be able to escape and soon accepts his fate and becomes friends with the giant. The giant is so large he does not notice an approaching polar bear. Finally he saves the hunter by flinging the bear into the sea. The illustrations are full of detail, especially in the kindly giant's facial expressions. The muted colors match the tone of the story and the setting of the frozen tundra. There is an introduction about stories from the Arctic and more information in the back of the book specifically about the Arctic giant legends. VERDICT This welcome addition to folktale collections will give the 398s a taste of the Arctic.-Kris Hickey, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH

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