The Raven and the Loon

Publisher's description (Inhabit Media, 2013): 
In the time before animals were as they are today, Raven and Loon were both white. Their feathers had no colour at all. Raven spent his days swooping through the sky trying to fight off his incessant boredom, while loon spent her days in her iglu working away on her sewing. One day, too bored to even fly, Raven visited Loon and suggested a sewing game that would give their feathers some much-needed colour. The results—not at all what the two birds expected—led to Raven and Loon acquiring their now-familiar coats. This whimsical retelling of a pan-Arctic traditional story features lively, colourful illustrations from Kim Smith.

Creator biographies (Strong Nations and Inhabit Media): 
Of Inuit-Scottish-Cree ancestry, Rachel A. Qitsualik-Tinsley was born and raised in the traditional Inuit culture of the late 1950's. After working for some time as a language specialist and consultant, she found success as a writer. Together with her husband, Sean A. Qitsualik-Tinsley, she has published many hundreds of articles on Inuit culture/folklore, much of which is used as educational content around the world. Together, they write fiction and educational works exploring the secretive world of Arctic shamanism. Rachel has also contributed to books, including Ring of Ice, Our Story, America is Indian Country, and Canada in 2020. Along with her husband, she has had the further pleasure of co-authoring Qanuq Pinngurnirmata: Vol. I, a book of Inuit myths expressed in modern narrative. Rachel is fond of hawks, dogs, and vanilla ice-cream (not necessarily in that order).

Of Inuit ancestry, Rachel was born in a tent at the northernmost tip of Baffin Island. Raised as a boy, she learned survival lore form her father -- eventually surviving residential school. Rachel specializes in archaic dialects and balances personal shamanic experience with a university education. On the basis of numerous articles written concerning culture and language, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.  

Kim Smith has worked in magazines, advertising, animation, and children’s gaming. She studied illustration at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Alberta, where she currently resides.

Resource format: Picturebook

Age recommendation: Pre-K - Grade 3

Keywords: Arctic, oral tradition, storytelling, Inuit, animals, birds, raven, loon, white, boring, iglu, sewing, friends, rude, boast, reciprocity, stone lamp, pattern, patience, soot, anger, angry, emotions, outburst, origin story, flat feet, webbed feet, black feathers, tundra, snow, consequences, hyper, talking, chatting

Year of publication: 2013

Publisher information: Inhabit Media