Eye of the Needle (Picture Puffins) [Paperback]

Betty Huffmon (Author), Teri Sloat (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Picture Puffins

Sent out by his grandmother to find food, Amik consumes a series of animals of ever-increasing size and brings back more than he thinks.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-- In this Yupik tale, little Amik is sent by his grandmother to hunt for food. He is so hungry that he swallows everything he finds, from tiny fish to a huge whale. Replete and ashamed, he returns home only to find he has grown too large to enter the hut, but magic from grandmother's needle releases all the fish and provides food for everyone. This is similar in motif to Jameson's Clay Pot Boy (Coward, 1973; o.p.), but Amik's eating because he is hungry gives a more human motive to the story, while grandmother's magic provides a satisfying, happy ending. Sloat's illustrations, done in a limited range of hues with just a hint of warmth, successfully portray the barren Alaskan landscape without giving it a bleak look. The drawings of Amik are sometimes awkward, but the two-page spread showing only his head and wide open mouth as he swallows the whale is full of ravenous drama. The story is told with a slight formality appropriate to a folktale and is enlivened with the increasing "Glump, Gulump, Gullummp!" of Amik's eating spree and the "swish, whoosh, rumble" of the sea creatures when they are released. This tall tale, simply told in an oral style, should have wide appeal. --Karen James, Louisville Free Pub . Lib . , KY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Teri Sloat is the author of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout!," as well as the author and/or illustrator of many other books for children. A former teacher, she lives with her husband and their three children north of San Francisco.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140549331
• ISBN-13: 978-0140549331
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.8 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,707,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gulp...A Big Catch for Young Readers / Listeners, May 24, 2008

By 

Arcturus70 "Arcturus70" (In the Orion Spur of the Milky Way Galaxy) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Eye of the Needle (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This beautifully illustrated book invites audiences to follow hungry Little Amik on a big quest for food in his native land (and sea). Much to a child's delight, the anticipation of the story grows as does the boy's appetite and the size of his prey / catches.

Grandmother is a warm and lovable character who teaches the universal lessons of love, trust, and sharing. Her influence and presence ties the clever hunting-gathering-eating story together into an enriching tall tale that teases and pleases.

The Eye of the Needle is a story that begs to be read out loud and discussed. It would compliment any study or learning unit about Alaska.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very highly recommended picturebook for young readers, May 29, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eye of the Needle: Based on a Yupik Tale (Paperback)

The Eye Of The Needle is a retelling of a Yupik tale from the Alaskan northwest, with Teri Sloat engagingly recounting and colorfully illustrating the story of Little Amik, a boy who lived with his grandmother in a tiny sod hut on the shores of the Northern Pacific. In this Native American fairytale, Amik swallows an enormous quantity of sea life (including a whale) along with the ocean waters until he is to large to enter his grandmother's house. Grandmother releases the magic in her sewing needle and all that Amik swallowed comes flowing and tumbling out as he finally learns the importance of sharing. A very highly recommended picturebook for young readers ages 4 and up.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, if Westernized, telling of a Yup'ik folk tale., September 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eye of the Needle (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This book has delightful and accurate illustrations of thearea. It is an exceptional outline or guideline for a storyteller,and helps students see another culture. The ending can be changed, or explained to children that the author decided to give Amik another chance. The book is a very good introduction to arctic and sub-arctic culture and traditional ways. Every group of students I have read this story to has absolutely enjoyed the story and helped with the swallowing sound effects.