In beautifully stark poems, recorded in Canada and Greenland, the Inuit express directly and richly their feelings and experiences in the face of natural and cultural adversity.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In his informative preface to this extraordinary book of Inuit songs, folklorist Philip (The Arabian Nights) stresses the importance of sung poetry in the Inuit culture, explaining that "the Inuit word anerca signifies both 'breath' and 'poetry.'" He quotes the shaman poet Orpingalik: "Songs are thoughts, sung out with the breath when people are moved by great forces and ordinary speech no longer suffices." Compelling and spare, the poems offer not only an introduction to the Inuit way of life, but testimony to a people who can find joy in the magic of laughter, language and everyday life, in spite of harsh conditions. In "Bear Hunting" poet Aua tells of playing "catch-me-who-can" with a snarling polar bear on an ice floe. In "The Mother's Song" an anonymous poet describes her son peacefully "sleeping on the ledge" as the snowstorm wails outside, then asks, "Is it strange if I start to cry with joy?" First-time illustrator Foa offers boldly colored, almost primitive, oil paintings-Modigliani faces that look scratched into the surface of the canvas, like the white lines in soapstone carving. In their elemental simplicity, these Inuit songs and Foa's commanding paintings possess a haunting power. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5?"The poems in this book were not written to be read, but composed to be sung," states Philip in his introduction to this offering of 10 free-verse selections born in the solitude of the Inuit lands. As spartan and spare as the tundra itself, this is poetry best read aloud. In simple phrases, the varied voices speak of the joys, prayers, ways, and wisdom of the Eskimo people. Foa's inviting oversized illustrations, done in oil, cover every other page. Some details are painted in and others are etched out, providing a variety of techniques to engage the eye. Primitive brushstrokes, sparsely applied, let the crosshatched pattern of the artboard itself add a dimension to the design. All of these poems have been previously published, but they appear in volumes that are no longer in print. A book that is definitely worth adding to any collection to update what is truly an otherwise neglected area of folk literature.?Dot Minzer, North Barrington School, Barrington, IL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful,
By A Customer
This review is from: Songs Are Thoughts: Poems of the Inuit (Hardcover)
This book includes beautiful poetry written by Indigenous Inuit people. The poems discribe every day life, in a way that makes it interesting for children to learn about. The pictures are breath-taking, and capture the Inuit way of life.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
