Status
Checked out
Due May 17, 2024
Call number
Description
Day after day in the frozen north, a young Inuit girl catches brightly-colored objects while ice fishing and uses them to decorate her igloo, until the ice begins to melt and she drops in a gift of her own before leaving for the season.
Genres
Collection
Publication
Peachtree Publishing Company (2014), Edition: Reprint, 32 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Immi - a young Inuit girl who appears to live all by herself in the vast arctic wilderness - goes ice-fishing one cold day, and lands a most unexpected catch: a brightly colored wooden bird. Adding this beautiful token to her necklace, she continues to fish, and winds up with many similar items,
Although I appreciated Immi's Gift on one level - as a sort of fantasy highlighting the idea that, though we may live in far-flung corners of the globe, we are all connected - and thought the artwork was lovely, I also found myself somewhat uncomfortable with Karin Littlewood's choice of cultural background, for her heroine. Unlike titles such as Whale Snow - an outstanding picture-book with Inuit themes - Immi's Gift felt less like a story about a real Inuit girl, than an Englishwoman's fantasy about a generic igloo-dweller of the far north. I realize, of course, that part of the point here is the contrast between tropics and arctic, but the persistent social critic in my head would not be silenced, as I read, and I couldn't help wishing that, in her quest to highlight the connections between children, Littlewood had stuck a little closer to home, rather than seeking after the 'exotic.'
Still, the artwork is beautiful (hence the three stars), and the narrative (leaving cultural issues aside) engaging, so readers might want to take a look at this one, and decided for themselves.
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which she uses to decorate her igloo. When the winter comes to an end, and her igloo melts, Immi places her white bear necklace in the water, as a means (one presumes) of returning the blessing she has received through this mysterious means. Halfway around the world, a young boy on a tropical island discovers the white bear in the water one day, when he goes down to the shore to toss in a brightly-colored token...Although I appreciated Immi's Gift on one level - as a sort of fantasy highlighting the idea that, though we may live in far-flung corners of the globe, we are all connected - and thought the artwork was lovely, I also found myself somewhat uncomfortable with Karin Littlewood's choice of cultural background, for her heroine. Unlike titles such as Whale Snow - an outstanding picture-book with Inuit themes - Immi's Gift felt less like a story about a real Inuit girl, than an Englishwoman's fantasy about a generic igloo-dweller of the far north. I realize, of course, that part of the point here is the contrast between tropics and arctic, but the persistent social critic in my head would not be silenced, as I read, and I couldn't help wishing that, in her quest to highlight the connections between children, Littlewood had stuck a little closer to home, rather than seeking after the 'exotic.'
Still, the artwork is beautiful (hence the three stars), and the narrative (leaving cultural issues aside) engaging, so readers might want to take a look at this one, and decided for themselves.
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LibraryThing member olivegreen1
An eskimo girl sends trinkets into the ice pond, little realizing the riches she will discover later. Wonderful native and colorful illustrations.
LibraryThing member sroslund
Immi fishes everyday for her dinner, but one day starts pulling strange and beautiful keepsakes out of the water and wonders where it's all coming from. Karin Littlewood's "Immi's Gift" is a gorgeously illustrated and masterfully woven tale about a little Inuit girl and a lovely mystery. Twice
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nominated for a Greenaway Medal for her illustrations in "Swallow Journey" and "Chanda and the Mirror of Moonlight," Littlewood's breathtaking water colors and sweeping lines leave me wondering why she hasn't won. The drawings are so artistically rendered that parents and teachers reading this story with their children will marvel at the world created so effortlessly in these pages. Children will simply love Immi's world, full of snow, ice and arctic creatures. The only inconsistency I can find in the book is Immi's isolation in the beginning of the story. Inuit cultures are celebrated for their close-knit communities and people are rarely ever all alone. Littlewood makes up for that misstep when Immi's animal friends show up to share in all the wonderful treasures that have been brought to her by the sea. As stated in the book's dedication page, "Immi" is Inuit for "Immiayuk", which means "echo." A beautiful name for a beautiful book. Recommended for children under 8. Show Less
LibraryThing member NMiller22
Day after day in the frozen north, an Inuit girl catches brightly colored objects while ice fishing and uses them to decorate her igloo, until the ice begins to melt and she drops into her fishing hole a gift of her own before leaving for the season.
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
32 p.; 10.82 inches
ISBN
1561458139 / 9781561458134