Product Description

The Inuksuk Book offers a fresh glimpse into the culture, customs, and ingenuity of the Inuit by examining the symbolic information revealed in the mysterious inuksuk. Found throughout the Far North, inuksuit are stone structures that act in the place of human beings to communicate knowledge essential for Arctic survival. Through the collective wisdom of Inuit elders and noted experts, archival photography, and the author's own exquisite silk paintings, the reader is introduced to the ten major types of structures and is shown how they have provided travelers with information on location, danger spots, food storage, hallowed land, and hunting grounds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #276349 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781897066133
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8In the Arctic, an inuksuk is a stone construction that can act in the place of a human being. These structures, sometimes in human shape, have been built in the tundra to serve as directional signs; markers for sites of important events, food caches, or rest stops; memorials to beloved individuals; aids in hunting; and even as surrogate caribou herders. For the modern Canadian Inuit, they also serve as striking connections to the past. The introduction reminds readers that most people employ tools where human help is not available: scarecrows, traffic lights, statues, and signs serve as our modern equivalents. The author explores the meanings and uses of inuksuit and describes the people who built them and the Arctic environment. By providing both a historical and modern context for these structures, she helps readers view them as more than just artifacts. The numerous full-color and black-and-white photographs present a good mixture of current and historical images of inuksuit and the Inuit people. Wallaces landscape paintings are interspersed throughout the text. The artists vivid hues dispel the stereotype of a monochromatic north. Instructions for constructing an inuksuk and a glossary of Inuktitut words are appended. This well-designed book makes a much better introduction to Arctic life than the usual peoples-of-the-polar-regions overviews.Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
For hundreds of years the Inuit people living in the Arctic region of North America have built stone structures called inuksuit. The various structures have been used to point the way for travelers, show where food is stored, and even warn of dangerous places. Wallace describes the daily routines of the Inuit as she demonstrates the importance of the inuksuit, historically and in contemporary times. The last chapter demonstrates how to construct an inuksuk. Children may be as fascinated with the examples of the Inuktitut language Wallace includes, which uses symbols to represent sounds. Numerous photos, many from the early 1900s, as well as colorful silk paintings, are scattered through the book, and there's a glossary explaining the Inuktitut words used for chapter headings and as titles for the paintings. An exceptional resource for study of the Arctic and Alaska. Karen Hutt

From Kirkus Reviews
paper 1-895688-91-4 For many years, perhaps many centuries, the Inuit of arctic Canada (now Nunavut) have built artfully arranged stone cairns and figures to mark caches, dangers, trails, and special events; here Wallace not only uses these inuksuit to open a window onto traditional and modern Inuit lifeways, but builds cultural bridges by pointing out similar artifacts in other parts of the world, e.g., traffic lights, and goes on to provide simple instructions for creating personal inunnguaq, the type of stone inuksuk that represents a human form. Heavily illustrated with a mix of old and new photographs, many in full-color, plus a dozen of the author's shimmering silk paintings, this perceptive study makes edifying background reading, as well as introducing an art form that will be unfamiliar to most readers. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Not just for children
While hiking in the Canadian Rockies, we saw inuksuk along the trails. Their beauty and the fact that people had expressed themselves by creating art out of rock, rather than defacing the area, added greatly to our enjoyment of the outings.

When I found the book "Inuksuk," I immediately purchased it. After reading it, I purchased four more copies. "Inuksuk" can be read and looked at from many angles. It will be a perfect gift for friends with "soul" and for children who I hope will grow up with an appreciation of nature and art.

Beautiful, Mesmerizing!
This gorgeously illustrated book is one of the most appealing books I have read about the Far North. It highlights the ingenuity of a people who live in a demanding environment.

One of the things about the book I really enjoyed was the use of the Inuit alphabet to caption the beautiful pictures. There is a dictionary of sounds and words in the back, which can be used for kids to write their own names in Inuit.

There is also a guide to making your own Inuksuk in the back.

EXCITING ART shared by our INUIT NEIGHBORS
The towering 'INUKSUK' (ee-nook-sook) pictured on the cover of Mary Wallace's book introduces readers to a world of earth-bound 'signposts' in the arctic - - and MUCH MORE! In their varied forms the inuksuk may be intended as markers for caches of food, to advise hunters of directions, or to symbolize persons being memorialized. The last is an idea that could be used by students who want to follow the author's instructions for building a personal inuksuk. Another structure is shown serving as a road map to a traveler's next destination. It is not only a potential life-saver but makes a beautiful statement in the barren landscape.

Living in the Arctic means acquiring techniques for survival. Outsiders must acclimate themselves in a short time and this can be unsettling! For many decades the U.S. War Dept. funded studies in climatology, resulting in proper clothing & more nutritious feeding of troops. One more way in which we have benefited from the insights of our neighbors to the north.

"The Inuksuk Book" has many striking silk paintings with a gorgeous rainbow of colors that reflect the beauty of the 'Northern Lights' (Aurora Boralis). These inspire an admiration for the mystery of the far north. Contemporary photographs and those from earlier years also enhance the text. Teachers often expand a study unit to include Eskimo/Inuit art. How fortunate the young people who become acquainted with the figures beautifully sculpted from walrus tusks and soapstone. Amazing artistry is evident in works created during the long winters north of Hudson's Bay.

REVIEWER mcHAIKU marvels at the skills & imagination of the Inuit people and cheers author Mary Wallace for sharing.