Little Bear: An Inuit Folktale

The world loves folktales. Like food, shelter, and water, they meet an elemental need: a need for connection. They are also a great portal into different cultures and nations. Little Bear: An Inuit Folktale delivers on all these counts.

The story beings with a lonely old woman taking in an orphaned polar bear cub. The cub gradually becomes part of the village, beloved by children and hunters alike. Unfortunately, when the bear ventures out of the village, he encounters fear and hostility. The old woman then has a choice: does she keep the bear close to her, or does she send him away to keep him safe?

The story is written simply, much like it would be told out loud, but the text is still descriptive. The illustrations are a wonderful co-medium for the story. I learned that illustrator Amanda Hall first uses watercolor ink and then fills in with pencil, pastel, gouache, or acrylic as needed.

The story is retold by Dawn Casey, who is not an Inuit author, but she has retold numerous tales. The book does have a foreword by an Inuit author, Kelly Berthelsen, and portion of the proceeds from the book sales will be donated to Polar Bears International.