The Orphan and the Polar Bear

K-Gr 2—In this tale retold by a contemporary Inuit storyteller, an orphaned youngster is repeatedly abandoned on an ice floe by the seal hunters of his tribe who hope for his death. He is eventually rescued by a polar bear in human form who takes the boy to his own community and teaches him the skills necessary to survive in this harsh land. When he is able to hunt and fight, he is returned to his own kind, having been taught how to become a man. Lovely watercolor illustrations dominated by blue and white hues place readers into the chilly landscape and lend credence to this simple, but cruel tale. The lesson of self-reliance is implied in this stilted translation, but not made explicit enough for younger children. The boy shows no gratitude to his animal rescuers, seems to harbor no resentment against his human tribesmen, and has an unknown future. Useful for folktale collections, but marginal for general storytelling.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY