Kits, Cubs, and Calves: An Arctic Summer

Readers will meet some fascinating animals of the Arctic ocean and tundra in this lively picture book that presents themes of family connections, both human and animal. It’s spring when Akuluk travels north to stay with her Aunt Sulie and Uncle James, the perfect time to see the young of several animals: red foxes, belugas, polar bears, sled dogs. Out in Uncle’s boat, they watch animal family members interact and support each other. The highlight of the trip comes when they encounter a pod of belugas with a newborn and then witness them accepting another apparently orphaned young whale into their protection. Akuluk is excited to see the behaviour of the animals for the first time and to learn more about the natural life of the Arctic as well as gain new appreciation for her culture and language.

The story is focused on observations of the wildlife and setting rather than on a traditional plot with conflict. Akuluk is treated to a guided tour and shows her enthusiasm and willingness to learn in her responses to the sights, sounds, and facts her family tells her. She is visiting “from her home south of the Arctic”, but she seems comfortable with customs of dress, transportation and way of life. However, the author alludes to the erroneous assumption that sophisticated technology hasn’t reached the north as Akuluk shows surprise at Uncle’s underwater sound recorder.

The encounters are exciting as they unfold in the dramatic landscape. The premise naturally promotes explanations, but word choices can be didactic; at one point, Uncle James ‘instructs’ about slowing down the boat for safety of the whales. Aunt Sulie’s exclamation is awkward: “Oh, look at that chubby, round, and very tiny whale swimming all by itself.” The font is quite small and lines closely spaced. The text suffers from wordiness and could be tighter. Frequent longish sentences may challenge the readership, in part due to the tendency to include definitions of Inuktitut terms in context even though they are explained later in a Glossary. The Glossary also includes helpful pronunciations of Inuktitut sounds. Editing missed the overuse of adverbs and this redundancy: Akuluk still doesn’t know much of her mother’s language yet.

Large size illustrations are bright, bold in color and use a high degree of animation. They flow across the pages and mingle with the text in appealing design that gives a reader a genuine feeling of being there. The overhead shot of boat and whales is especially effective. Illustrations are well-matched with the text, with the exception of one reference to Akuluk’s “curly black hair” which always appears long and straight as it blows in the wind.
Kits, Cubs, and Calves: An Arctic Summer delivers plenty of entertaining content and a worthy message that speaks to the role of family and the importance of our link to nature. Young readers who will readily identify with Akuluk will understand the value of respecting the environment and enjoying all it has to show us.