Caribou Song / atíhko níkamon

Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.

This was one of those books that I really wanted to like, because it has such a unique and rarely shown perspective, as it's written about Canadian indigenous people, by a Canadian indigenous author. It even includes the story in its original language, rather than only its English translation, which is not only a fantastic added touch, but allows it to reach a wider variety of children.

That said, it just doesn't really have a story to it. It's about two children who go out hunting for caribou with their parents, and decide to do a song and dance to make the caribou come. While I can absolutely appreciate the cultural importance of this theme, in the context of the book, it just makes it feel like nothing is really happening. The book isn't saved by its art, as many lackluster children's books might be; the artwork is dodgy and muddled, so I can't see it attracting the eye of most children I know (my own son glanced at it and kept walking, which is unusual for him).