Avinngaq Ukpigjuarlu/The Story of the Lemming and the Owl

Prey outwits predator in this brief fable adaptation from Arnakak, presented in Inuktitut and English. The story unfolds with short, simple sentences: “The owl is young./ He is powerful.// The lemming is small./ He is smart.” While the lemming eats lunch outside its den, the hungry owl arrives and intimidates—its black talons reach for the brown rodent, depicted with a look of fear. Unable to escape into the den, the lemming tries tricking its antagonist with flattery (“You are a good hunter”), and it works—with each compliment, the bird dances a little harder, eventually becoming so distracted that the clever mammal can run to safety. Providing energy to straightforward text, Kang’s lightly adorned scenes portray the expressive owl as it spins, while music notes emanating from the lemming’s open mouth fill page after page. Ages 3–5. (Nov.)