Sweetest Kulu. Celina Kalluk. Illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis. Iqaluit, NU: Inhabit Media, 2014. 32 pp., hardcover, $16.95. ISBN 978-1-927095-77-5. Kindergarten-grade 3 / Ages 5-8. Review by Karyn Miehl. **** /4

excerpt:

Sweetest Kulu, on the day you were born, all of the Arctic Summer was there to greet you. Smiling Sun shone so bright and stayed through the night, giving you blankets and ribbons of warm light.

Melodies of Wind arrived, sharing stories of how the weather forms, and telling you to always listen closely. Wise Wind had learned your name, charming Kulu, and invited the world to meet you.

Sweetest Kulu celebrates the birth of Kulu. The Arctic Summer greets Kulu, and the winds invite the world to meet him. The lovely illustrations in the book depict gentle animals; even the fox, muskox and polar bears are careful with, and respectful of, the newborn. Each animal bestows upon Kulu a lesson or gift. The white fox “came to tell you to get out of bed as soon as you wake, and to help anyone who may need help along your way”, and the polar bears “taught you to always treat animals with respect and to never scold them.” Each lesson or gift (and there are several) is one that I would wish for my own children.

     The illustrations in this book show Kulu happy and safe, two things all parents want for their children. Kulu appears comfortable in the presence of the various animals and elements of nature, showing a connectedness among all.

     I really like this story and how it doesn’t feature your traditional talking animal characters, primary colour pictures, or focus on kid-centred issues or problems. The colours feel organic to the text, and the message in the text, and add to the overall appeal of this book.

Highly Recommended.

Karyn Miehl, a mother of two and a secondary school English teacher, lives in Kingsville, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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