Arctic Stories

Ten-year-old Agatha, an Inuit girl, is the reluctant heroine in this tapestry of Arctic tales set in the 1950s. Each tale has its origins in Kusugak's own childhood experiences.

Children's Literature

This quirky trio of stories is based on Kusugak's recollections of growing up in Repulse Bay, in northern Canada. Ten-year-old Agatha, an Inuit girl, is the star of all three tales. She saves her community from "the ugly black thing" (a helium-filled airship), befriends a "most amazing bird" (a clever raven) and rescues a priest who's literally on thin ice. Agatha's enthusiastic exploits are rendered in a low-key, offhand style that reads the way storytellers speak. Krykorka's illustrations, in watercolors and colored pencil, are humorous and yet respectful of their subjects.

Michael Kusugak grew up in the Arctic Circle. His books have been teaching children about life in the north for almost 20 years. Michael lives in Rankin Inlet in northern Canada.

Vladyana Krykorka is the celebrated illustrator of more than 30 books for children. She is a lover of Inuit culture and has traveled to the Arctic many times. Born and raised in Prague, she now lives in Toronto.