Hide and Sneak

Publisher's Description (Annick Press): 
On the great tundra plains of Nunavut, there is a creature that just loves to play hide and seek. The only problem with this creature is, if it helps you hide, no one will ever find you again. Well, Allashua loves to play hide and seek…

Allashua ignores the inuksugaq as she plays hide-and-seek. Soon she encounters an Ijiraq--a tiny half-bird, half-human creature who loves to play. Allashua remembers her mother telling her that if an Ijiraaq hides you, no one will ever find you again. Eventually, Ijiraq disappears and Allashua gets lost on the tundra. With no idea of which way to go, she heads toward a small block dot on a far-off hill. When Allashua realizes the dot is the inuksugaq and that it can guide her safely home, she understands the riddle of its existence.

Inuit author Michael Kusugak (A Promise is a Promise, Baseball Bats for Christmas) again demonstrates that he is a masterful writer. A mythological figure and traditional Inuit practices, set the backdrop for this dramatic story. 

Author Biography (https://www.michaelkusugak.com/): 
Michael Kusugak grew up in Repulse Bay, NWT (now Nunavut). During his childhood, his family travelled by dog sled, living a traditional Inuit lifestyle. He is the author of twelve children's books, including: The Littlest Sled Dog, The Curse of the Shaman, T is for Territories, Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails, winner of the Ruth Schwartz Award; Hide and Seek; My Arctic 1, 2, 3; and Baseball Bats for Christmas; and was co-writer of A Promise Is a Promise (with Robert Munsch). Michael Kusugak lives in Sooke BC, and spends most summers in  his cabin in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. 

Resource format: Picturebook

Age recommendation: Pre-K - Grade 3

Keywords: tundra, inuksugag, guidance, Inuit, Inuktitut language, Inuit traditional practices, culture, Ijiraq, floats, summer, loon, butterfly, fish, bugs, explore, nature, lost, mother, daughter, hide and seek, play, childhood, freedom

Year of publication: 1992

Publisher information: Annick Press