The Owl and the Two Rabbits

read by Nadia Sammurtok & Roselynn Akulukjuk, illustrated by Marcus Cutler

tagged: survival stories, rabbits, polar regions, birds

Description

When two rabbit sisters ignore their parents' warnings and decide to play outside on the open tundra, a hungry owl soon spots them and decides they will make a delicious meal. As a chase ensues, the sisters must act quickly, using the owl's own greed against him in order to get away.

A traditional Inuit story and cautionary tale, this book presents a centuries-old narrative for a new generation of readers.

About the Authors

Nadia Sammurtok is an Inuit writer and educator originally from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Nadia is passionate about preserving the traditional Inuit lifestyle and Inuktitut language so that they may be enjoyed by future generations. Nadia currently lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, with her family.

Marcus Cutler is a freelance children's illustrator whose work has appeared in magazines, books, apps and more. He has worked with a variety of clients, including chickaDEE Magazine, OWL Magazine, Macmillan Publishers and Parks Canada, and he is the illustrator of the Lark Ba Detective series, The Owl and the Two Rabbits and The Walrus and the Caribou. Marcus lives in Tecumseh, Ontario.

Roselynn Akulukjuk was born in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic. In 2012, Roselynn moved to Toronto to pursue a career in film and attend the Toronto Film School, where she fell in love with being behind the camera. After finishing her studies and working in Toronto, Roselynn returned home to Nunavut, where she began working with Taqqut Productions, an Inuit-owned production company located in the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit. Part of Roselynn’s love of filmmaking is the ability to interview elders, listen to their traditional stories, and share them with the world. In 2015, Roselynn wrote and directed her first film, the live-action and puppetry short The Owl and the Lemming, on which her book by the same title is based. Her film won Best Animation at the 2016 American Indian Film Festival.

Age:: 3 to 5
Grade:: p to k
Reading age:: 3 to 5

Editorial Reviews

The beauty of the landscape is captured in Cutler’s watercolor cartoon illustrations, with glowing orange-yellow sunset backgrounds. Inuk writer Sammurtok’s creative retelling brims with suspenseful pacing.

The Owl and the Two Rabbits is an entertaining tale that will not only engage readers, but it will also indirectly teach them about Inuit culture as this story is a take on a traditional Inuit legend.

The dark nature of the tale is mitigated by the style of illustration: Bright pastel colors cover each page, and the soft features of the owl and pink-eared rabbits alleviate some of the tension in the life-and-death struggle.This traditional Inuit story from Nunavut teaches children the importance of parental guidance—with a dash of excitement.

Illustrator Marcus Cutler weaves colorful, vibrant illustrations all throughout the inviting text of this story...This meaningful picture book is perfect to add to any school library or early elementary school classroom.

"Inuk writer Nadia Sammurtok’s delightful new take on a traditional Inuit story from the Kivalliq region of Nunavut has wonderfully rambunctious illustrations by Marcus Cutler. When two little rabbit sisters decide to go play on the tundra, even though they’ve been warned not to, trouble is quick to follow! They’ll make a delicious-tasting dinner for a hungry owl and his wife unless they can find a way to escape. How they manage to trick the owls will keep young readers on the edge of their seats in this engagingly suspenseful story."

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