Customer Reviews

A Promise is a Promise (Classic Munsch)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Colorful pictures of a cultural heritage tell a scary story that teaches the reader that "a promise is a promise." Allashua lives in the North West Territories where she goes ice fishing on lakes and at the ocean. Her parents warn her of the Qallupilluit, imaginary troll-like creatures that seize children who are out on the ocean ice without their parents. Allashua is caught and promises to return with her brothers and sisters. She must keep her promise but her parents must also protect them from the Qallupilluit. The story might scare some young children, but the ending is a happy one. The sentence "a promise is a promise," is repeated throughout the book. With the threat of the Qallupilluit, children learn not to disobey their parents, always to keep a promise, and where applicable, to not go onto the ice alone. It is a good story that gives insight into one small part of Inuit culture. A good book for multicultural themes.

In this vividly illustrated children's book, an Inuit girl disobeys her parents and goes out on the dangerous sea ice. She is stolen by the dangerous Kallipilluit people who live under the ice. As they drag her under they tell her she will never see her parents or brothers or sisters again. To escape, she makes a rash promise to deliver her brothers and sisters to them. When she tells her parents about her promise after they warm her up from near-death, they figure out a way to honor their daughter's promise but still save their children from the Kallipilluit. And they succeed at rescuing their children without compromising their values. This story is a fable which teaches about Inuit culture while illustrating important psychological issues of trust, parental responsiblilty, and truth-telling. A savvy parent or therapist might well use this story as a starting point for a discussion of these issues. Or one can equally well just enjoy the story and pictures.

This book is a good book because it relates to real life and even
mine.Its like if you really want to to do something so badly so you lie but just like guilt tthe quallapillious will catch you and youll have to live with guilt forever until you admit it and the guilt will leave you.I think kids trying to clean up their lives should read this.I give this book a rating of 4 and a half

The Qallupilluq is an imaginary Inuit creature that lives on Hudson Bay, according to the book's afterward. This troll-like thing wears a parka made of loon feathers and is said to grab children when they walk near the cracks in the ice.

This creature was invented much like others' hobgoblins, to frighten children into listening to their parents.

This version of an encounter with the Qallupilluit comes from Michael Kusugak, an Inuit man who was raised in the Arctic. He sent it to Robert Munsch, who had stayed with Kusugak's family while visiting Rankin Inlet in Canada's Northwest Territories.

The result is a dance with some of the greater truths that transcend all cultures. Alyssa A. Lappen

I'm fascinated about this book. It contains 3 bits information.
#1. you can not break a promise
#2. stay away from the ocean
#3. have an adult supervising you.
I hope there are more books like this!

I rented this book from the library and my sister read it first to my daughter while babysitting. My daughter informed me the next day that it was quite scary even though it ended ok and that she thought I should read it. I agree with her. The story is about a young child who broke her promise, was almost killed by goblins which led to a new promise which her family had to trick the goblins to get out of. Not a great story and no moral to the story as the 1st broken promise wasn't ever addressed. My daughter is 5 (3 months short of 6) and she felt it was too scary to hear - she asked for it to be returned to the library the next day.