Vanishing Cultures: Frozen Land
Grade 3-6-Appealing full-color photographs and a simple but descriptive text introduce the traditional values and customs of an Inuit family living on an inlet of Hudson Bay. An introduction and an "About This Book" section provide additional information about the Qamanituaq people. The photographs capture the colors and feel of the Arctic land and these Eskimo people engaged in traditional activities. While many of the pictures are identified, some are uncaptioned, although they are indirectly defined by the accompanying narrative. Numerous Eskimo words, printed in italics, are defined. Fishing, hunting, skin cleaning, sewing clothing, customs, building an igloo, and drum dancing are described through the eyes of a young girl and her family. Reynolds shows respect for and sensitivity to the traditional life style. This title makes a unique addition to similar information covered in Russell Kendall's Eskimo Boy (Scholastic, 1992) and Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith's Arctic Hunter (Holiday, 1992), both of which are told from the perspective of boys. Although the scope is slim compared to Bobbie Kalman and William Belsey's An Arctic Community (Crabtree, 1988), J.H. Smith's Eskimos (1987), or Elizabeth Hahn's The Inuit (1990, both Rourke) by this book's focus on the relationship of the Inuits to their natural surroundings and the loss of traditional ways to the influence of foreigners who have come to the land, make this title a worthwhile purchase.Roz Goodman, Bering Strait School District Media Center, Unalakleet,Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.