The Most Amazing Bird

December 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 1-This story opens with the sounds of feet crunching into the snow, pulling readers into the wintry setting and giving the story immediacy. Aggataa, a little girl, sees a "tulugarjuaq" (a raven) and thinks that it is ugly. She asks her grandmother, who explains that she fed that bird one winter and now it returns annually. Aggataa comes to an uneasy peace with the bird, and its "Crah!" in response. The raven leaves as the snows give way to spring and other seasonal birds arrive for the warmer months. Again, the seasons shift, and the sandhills and seagulls fly south, leaving the landscape empty. Aggataa thinks it will be a lonely winter but is happy when her "ugly" raven returns. From a rotation of seasons, to the interactions between Aggataa and her grandmother, both Inuit and dressed traditionally, this beautiful tale provides gentle hints as to Inuk life in a sparsely poetic landscape. Delicate watercolors capture the play of the birds and the passing of seasons and complement the hushed storytelling. VERDICT Inuit storyteller Kusugak offers readers a window into the changing of seasons in a frozen landscape and how the wildlife and the humans change with it.-Ruth Guerrier-Pierre, New York P.L.

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Starred review from October 1, 2020
An Inuk girl learns lessons in beauty and friendship from an unexpected source. One day, while crunching along the hard snow with her grandmother, Aggataa spies a raven. But instead of reacting with awe, she says "it's ugly" and thinks it "looks like it slept in its coat." Despite Aggataa's wish for the raven to fly away, it stays all winter, "hop[ping] along behind her" whenever she walks to grandmother's hut. Aggataa begins to warm to it. When spring returns the raven leaves, and although other birds arrive for the summer, the raven does not. Before long Aggataa observes "long Vs of geese flying south," and with "no more birds" around, the coming winter promises to be lonely. Only the "Crah" of a particular raven can hope to lift her spirits. Kusugak's quiet narrative is deeply layered. While the primary narrative revolves around Aggataa's interaction with the raven and other birds, readers will notice equally poignant threads of story in the changing of seasons, life in the Arctic, and within the multigenerational relationship between Aggataa and her grandmother. Additionally, inclusion of both Inuktitut words for the various birds Aggataa encounters and the onomatopoeic sounds they make creates a wonderful read-aloud. Qappik's realistic, soft-toned illustrations are rich in their own right. Images of Aggataa and her grandmother feel like snapshots from a family photo album while the detailed depictions of the birds could exist in any ornithological field guide. Both author and illustrator are Inuit. Stunningly contemporary and amazingly timeless. (Picture book. 4-7)

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November 1, 2020
Grades K-3 While walking in the snowy tundra, a young girl, Aggataa, and her grandmother spy a raven. Aggataa calls the bird Ugly; the older woman explains this bird stays close to her because she fed it last year. Aggataa begins helping the bird, too, and while she is happy to see many other birds arriving with warmer weather, she is sad that the raven disappears. Luckily, Ugly returns after the summer birds leave, ready to keep Aggataa and Grandmother company for the winter. Renowned Inuit storyteller Kusugak's text is succinct yet lyrical, especially when describing the sights and sounds of the Arctic. Throughout, he infuses Inuktituk terms, each one carefully placed to convey meaning through context. Printmaker Qappik's realistic art offers a naturalistic look at the tundra throughout the seasons. Winter scenes highlight humans and animals set against mostly snowy white backgrounds, while spring and summer scenes utilize a wider color palette and more complex, active compositions. Particularly appealing are the tumbling sandpiper chicks (sigjariarjuit). An engaging look at life in Canada's North.

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