TUKTUT INNARUQPALLIANINGIT / LIFE CYCLES OF CARIBOU

Caribou hold enormous economic and traditional significance to the Inuit people, and this board book affirms their vital role in the community. Opening with a vulnerable “nurraq,” or “baby caribou,” the text defines the animal in three terms, first with Inuktitut syllabics, then with the Romanized version of the syllabics, and finally, the English translation of the word. Standing alone against a white background, the lanky baby caribou is gauzy and lightly shaded, a mostly naturalistic animal imbued with a touch of softness. It’s followed by a full-bleed, double-page spread showing mother and baby amid a luminously colored, sweeping boreal landscape. As the book progresses, readers meet six specific iterations of caribou throughout their life spans, such as “nurraviniq,” or “young caribou (male or female),” ending with a “pangniq,” or “bull caribou.” Each stage is accompanied by a handsome introductory portrait and then a tableau set against mountains, grassy meadows, or snowy expanses, demonstrating the Arctic environment’s rugged beauty and diversity. Though no humans appear in this picture dictionary, the respect for both the Inuit language and the caribou itself is abundantly clear, and this book will be useful for native speakers and for those learning about Inuktitut.

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