The Raven's Gift: A True Story from Greenland FROM THE PUBLISHER
Home to the musk oxen, narwhal, polar bear, and raven, Greenland—the earth’s largest island—seems to hold the magic and mystery of the far north. What would it be like to visit there? To kayak along its remote shores, dogsled through its tundra, visit its tiny villages?With charming linoleum block prints, Kelly Dupre follows the long, difficult journey of two men. In simple words, she captures the tenacity and vitality of all that they see—and subtly reveals to children what can be learned from a place like Greenland.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In her first book for children, Dupre briefly describes her husband's 3,200-mile expedition around Earth's largest island by kayak, skis and dogsled. She makes the daunting Arctic journey comprehensible for young readers with engaging linoleum block prints that chronicle his trek and by zeroing in on his moving encounter with a raven. Primitivist images with thick black outlines recall the art of the Inuit people that her husband, Lonnie, so admires ("I have watched them make beautiful, warm fur clothing by hand and build perfectly fitted kayaks using only their arms and legs for measuring tools"). Spot illustrations depict indigenous wildlife, such as the narwhal, musk oxen and Arctic tern, while sidebars explain the history of the culture and the land (e.g., "The Inuit have lived throughout the Arctic regions for more than 3,000 years"). At the center of the volume is the tale of Lonnie's exchange with a raven, a legendary bird in those parts, whose foot was entangled and who allows the man close enough to free it; in the process, the bird gives him renewed resolve: "Every day I would look for ravens and remember the one who taught me that strength and spirit is in the land, in the sea, and in all living things." A fitting ode to a rough land and a resilient people. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
This worthwhile picture book portrays the fifteen-month 1997/98 journey of two men who kayak, ski and dogsled around the perimeter of Greenland. The journey is highlighted by an almost mystical but true-life encounter the author's husband, Lonnie, has with a raven. Two months into the journey the inclement traveling conditions cause the men to feel like giving up. While making camp, Lonnie hears a strange sound in the cliffs nearby and goes to investigate. He finds a raven entangled in some musk ox fur and a stick. So as not to scare the raven he talks quietly to her about his own travails. Then the raven picks up a small stone with her beak and sets it near Lonnie. As he holds the stone, he recalls his reasons for making the journey. In those recollections and after freeing the bird, Lonnie finds the strength to continue the arduous trip. The simple descriptive language, ("The raven had a strong wedged beak, shiny feathers, and deep black eyes") complements the stylized black line linoleum block prints, sparingly colored in light primary-hued watercolors. The expansive use of white space and limited text evokes the cold icy climate of Greenland. Nonfiction sidebars about the wildlife, Inuit people and unique geographical features of this little known land are neatly woven into the compelling narrative. 2001, Houghton Mifflin, $15.00. Ages 7 to 12. Reviewer: Darcy H. Bradley
School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-Dupre tells the story of her husband's kayaking trip around Greenland with a friend and his rescue of a raven whose foot had become entangled in musk ox fur-or was it a raven's rescue of Kelly's husband who had become disheartened by his arduous journey? The author illustrates the book with attractive, often humorous, somewhat primitive linoleum-block prints. These prints are the strongest component of the book and certainly are the aspect most likely to draw children's attention. Many of the pages have sidebars giving information about Greenland's wildlife or history. Unfortunately, this is one of those titles that doesn't tell enough about the place to be used for a school assignment and doesn't have a strong enough plot to give it wide appeal as a picture book. For youngsters with a strong interest in arctic regions or a special affinity for ravens, it might prove a treasure. For the rest of us, it is an additional rather than an essential purchase.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A tale of endurance and mystery in the Arctic. A little boy grows up fascinated by the far north; this fascination results in an expedition to Greenland mounted by the grown narrator and an Australian friend. It is a grueling experience, as the two men kayak along the coast: "We felt tiny among the huge icebergs, big waves, and rocky cliffs. Maybe we had made a mistake by coming to Greenland. We kept paddling, but each day we grew more tired. We were ready to quit." At the darkest moment, the narrator encounters a raven whose foot is tangled in musk ox fur, and whose gift of a rock prompts him to look outside his own misery to the beauty and power of the land and of himself. Newcomer Dupre spins a quiet tale of extreme hardship and perseverance, illustrated with linoleum block prints that stand out starkly against the white page, complementing the simple text beautifully. Occasional block-print sidebars deliver tidbits of Greenlandic information, on topics such as the adaptations Arctic mammals have made to their harsh environment and the migratory patterns of Greenland's birds, making this a surprisingly informative book without interfering with the basic narrative line. While the full mystic import of the narrator's epiphany will likely escape most young readers, the appealingly primitive illustrations and the fundamental lure of the unknown will draw children in to this most unusual and pleasing offering. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)
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