An Inuksuk Means Welcome

Having written several children’s books about inuksuit (large stone cairns used by Inuit peoples for navigation), Wallace builds an acrostic from the letters in the word inuksuk to share seven Inuktitut words. Explanatory sentences introduce each word (“N is for nanuq, the powerful polar bear of the North”), and page turns show the object or animal within a larger Arctic setting (in this case, a lithe polar bear stands atop an icy hill, green aurorae swirling over its head). Wallace tucks tiny inuksuit into her expansive paintings, adding a minor seek-and-find element, while phonetic pronunciations and Inuktitut syllabics help readers engage in many ways with the words presented. The presence of a close-knit Inuit family, paddling their umiaq or sharing a kunik (“a kiss that says we’re family”), brings a loving warmth to the Arctic landscape Wallace so affectionately portrays. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)