Gorgeously illustrated, so we can almost hear the puffins
chatter and sink our fingers into the deep polar bear fur,
this is a perfect Christmas stocking book. FISH BOY tells
of a youngster in the Native communities off Alaska,
paddling a canoe with his Inuit father Teragloona to an
island.
Actually, our friend is not the fish boy but he asks about
the birds known as sea parrots, black and white swimmers
with gaudy bills. When he is tucked up and warm, later, a
legend is recounted, one that makes the lad feel even with
disability he can contribute. A fisherman dropping a lure
through an ice-hole catches nothing except an unusual blend
of a fish and a boy, which speaks and asks to be adopted.
With a very strange son the fisherman Kitmesuk has some
even stranger adventures.
Every culture around the world seems to have a tale of an
animal wife or animal husband, like the selkie or seal
wife. The fish boy tale is an offshoot which entertained me
and kept me guessing. This folk tale is a great
introduction to 'how things came to be' fables, and
alternative ways of living in harsh environments. Positive
lessons include respect for elders, inclusion of those less
able and hospitality to guests.
Young readers will be spellbound by the illustrations on
every page by artist Mike Blanc which capture life in the
past of the cold Arctic. The author Vanita Oelschlager
lives in Ohio and has gained many awards and distinctions,
including National Volunteer of the Year by the MS Society.
She says ten percent of the profits from this book will go
to a charity for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers. FISH BOY is
a great short read to spark discussion and help make
friends.
The Arctic region of North America is a land of long days,
icy cold, hardy people and peculiar creatures. The Inuit
people there have made traditional use of remarkable folk
tales to find truth and explain the mysteries of an
astonishing world.
In Fish-Boy: An Inuit Folk Tale, Vanita Oelschlager retells
a tale passed down by a wise old Inuit. It's an origin story
involving a little magic and a very odd boy with a large
heart for friendship. On a journey with his new father, he
must confront misfortune and the malice of cold hearted
villagers. But he has a way...and a lesson for all in the
virtues of kindness and hospitality.
Here then, is high praise for the tale-tellers: for the
richness, diversity and creativity they send from the top of
the world- and so, also Fish Boy, An Inuit Folk Tale, retold
here and lavishly illustrated for a new generation. After
all, that is how ancient folk tales and truth live on in the
telling.
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