The Spirit of the Sea by R. Hainnu

• Published in: The Deakin Review of Children's Literature
• Main Author: Campbell, Sandy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Alberta Libraries 2015
• Subjects: Browns; Clyde River; Fulmar; Nunavut; inuit; inuktitut; Tundra
• Online Access: http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/deakinreview/article/view/25881; https://doi.org/10.20361/G2KP4B

Hainnu, Rebecca. The Spirit of the Sea. Illus. Hwei Lim. Iqualuit, NU: Inhabit Media, Inc., 2014. Print.This volume is another of Inhabit Media’s fine productions of Inuit legends. It tells an old story, which exists in many variations. This version comes from Rebecca Hainnu, who lives in Clyde River, Nunavut. While Hainnu’s previous works have been non-fiction including children’s books on mathematics and tundra plants, she does a fine job of storytelling, as well. Arnaq is a beautiful young woman who is tricked into marrying a fulmar (a kind of bird) when he appears in human form. When her father tries to rescue her, he ends up sacrificing her to the fulmars to save his own life. She sinks to the bottom and becomes the Spirit of the Sea. As Nuliajuq, she controls the sea animals and hunters must appease her to have good hunting and calm seas.Throughout the volume, text appears on one page and an image on the facing page. The text, which is appropriate for upper elementary readers and above, is meant to be read aloud and generally has the sound of a traditional storyteller’s voice. However, there are occasional modern phrases that are incongruous and break the flow. “Eventually, Arnaq succumbed to complete depression”. The text contains some Inuktitut words, which are italicized and listed in the pronunciation guide at the end of the volume.The watercolours by Hwei Lim are beautiful and ethereal. The colours are mainly blues and browns, reflecting the marine environment. The underwater image of Arnaq looking up at the bottom of a boat is particularly effective.The Spirit of the Sea is highly recommended for elementary school libraries, public libraries and libraries specializing in Canadian Indigenous materials. Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.