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Monday, August 15, 2016

Those That Cause Fear, written by Neil Christopher and illustrated by Germaine Arnaktauyok. Inhabit Media, Fitzhenry & Whiteside. 2016. $16.95 ages 8 and up

"Wolves can be very large, especially in northern regions of the world. However, there are magical wolves that live in the far
North that are larger than any wolf you can imagine. Across the Arctic, and especially in Greenland, there live giant wolves called the amarujjuat."

This is a great addition to the books that are being published by Inhabit Media. It introduces readers to many of the very scary creatures mentioned in Inuit myths and folklore.

Neil Christopher begins with an introduction to Arctic Monsters. He explains that those things that are most scary about living in the Arctic are not the blizzards, the sea ice, or the huge animals that we associate with living there, rather this book is about 'things that go bump in the Arctic nights'.

"An important thing to note is that some of the beings and creatures discussed in this book are said to have existed long ago and are no longer present in the world. But many of them are thought to still be out on the land, hiding and waiting for an unsuspecting person ... "

He then goes on to introduce his readers to twenty monsters that are sure to frighten and intrigue. From the Amautalik to the Nanurluk, there is a full page description for creatures that are meant to strike fear in hearts and encourage caution when out on the land. Each has a facing page illustration depicting said monster. This allows readers to determine their level of fear when seeing them.

A Final Thoughts paragraph following the text and suggests that:

"You will not find a travel guide or a map that will warn you of the hidden things contained in this book. For that information, you need to study Inuit oral history and talk to the people who have lived in the Arctic for generations."

A pronunciation guide wraps it up and provides an invitation to practise your Inuktitut.

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