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A young Inuit boy named Jake cannot get his new puppy, Kamik, to obey. Kamik won’t come when called, tracks snow all the over house, and squirms and wiggles away when Jake tries to hold him.
But when Jake and Kamik visit Jake’s grandfather, Jake learns about all the ways in which the Inuit have trained dogs for generations, raising strong, disciplined, and capable dogs. Grandfather tells Jake that dogs understand a lot more than people give them credit for. They need people to spend time with them and treat them as good friends.
Grandfather recalls the days when he hunted by dog sled teams and the numerous occasions on which his brave sled dogs helped him—and even saved his life, including during a blizzard.
Jake leaves Grandfather’s home inspired to use traditional Inuit practices to form a closer bond with his puppy. Following the Inuit custom of naming puppies after older dogs that have passed away, Jake changes Kamik’s name to Tahaaji, the name of Grandfather’s lead dog from his youth, signaling a positive change in Jake’s relationship with his puppy.
Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story is Inuit elder Donald Uluadluak’s first book. I was utterly disarmed by this simple, pitch-perfect story about a beloved animal that has been central to Inuit culture, and about the culture itself. The delicate and authentic illustrations by artist Qin Leng are the perfect accompaniment to this lovely story. Highly recommended, especially for dog lovers and those interested in multicultural stories!
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Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story