I was so happy to get some Inuit picture books sent to me and I wanted to learn more about the Inuit.
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. The Inuit languages are part of the Eskimo–Aleut languages also known as Inuit-Yupik-Unangan and also as Eskaleut. from Wikipedia
Many of the picture books on this list have Inuit words — Inuktitut — which is the traditional oral language of Inuit in the Arctic. “Spoken in Canada and Greenland, as well as in Alaska, Inuktitut, and its many dialects are used by peoples from region to region, with some variations. … Other peoples to use this written system were the Alaskan Yupik and Inupiat, and the Siberian Yupik…
Today, Arctic peoples from different regions speak their own dialects of Inuktitut, Yupik, and Inupiaq languages. The differences may be as minor as tone or sound variations or may include different word usage altogether.” from Library and Archives Canada
@shinanova Katajjaq, throat singing @kayuulanova #katajjaq #inuit #throatsinger ♬ original sound – Shina Nova
Let’s celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with these Inuit Picture books! What are your favorites? Thanks for sharing!
p.s. Related posts:
Native American Residential Schools #OwnVoices Book List
Native American Folklore & Creation Stories by Native Americans
A Selection of #OwnVoices Native American Stories
Top 10: Best Native American Books for Kids
Native American Book Lists For Kids
Books for Kids to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
Plimoth Plantation: Learning About Native Americans
Contemporary Native Americans in KidLit and the Kid Lit Blog Hop
Native American Picture Book of the Day Exploration
20+ Inuit Picture Books
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joose
The Inuit culture and Arctic wildlife are highlighted in this board book in a familiar question that children like to pose to their parents.
The little girl probes her mother’s love for her with different scenarios to test her: breaking Ptarmigan eggs, putting lemmings in her mukluks, running away, or turning into a polar bear. No matter what, the mama assures her daughter that she will love her, no matter what, forever and always. [board book, ages 1 and up]
We Love You as Much as the Fox Loves Its Tail by Masiana Kelly, illustrated by Tamara Campeau
A lovely rhyming story that uses the natural world of Artic tundra to describe how much a new baby is loved and cherished. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
To My Panik // To My Daughter by Nadia Sammurtok, illustrated by Pelin Turgut
This is an Inuit version of Guess How Much I Love You? A mama assures her young daughter of her unconditional love, using references to the natural world of the tundra. This is a beautiful and timeless book to pair up with the other well-known classic, Guess How Much I Love You? [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Little Bear: An Inuit Folktale retold by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Amanda Hall
An old woman finds a freezing bear cub on an iceberg. It had no mother so she took him home and raised her like her own child. The village embraced the polar bear as he grew up, big and strong. The polar bear was gentle with the children and hunted on behalf of the village. One day, when the men went hunting with the polar bear, another village happened upon the bear and hunted him, wounding him before his villagers could call off the hunter. The old woman nursed her polar bear back to health and told him to return to the wild. It’s a difficult goodbye but every year, they meet in the winter. Polar bear son and mother. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
In My Anaana’s Amautik by Nadia Sammurtok, illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko
An amautik is a fur parka worn by women with a built-in pouch just below the hood to carry a baby or toddler. Children up to two years of age stay warm and cozy with their mamas (anaana). In this story, the child carried in his or her mother’s amautik feels loved and warm. Use this book to talk about how babies and toddlers are transported in other cultures. I used a Baby Bjorn for my kids and my husband carried our toddlers in a special backpack called a Kelty. [picture book, ages 0 and up]
Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis
Celina Kalluk, an acclaimed Inuit throat singer, wrote this love song to a newborn baby who is blessed by gifts from all the animals of the Arctic. “Kulu” is a word of endearment in Inuktitut. [picture book, ages 0 and up]
My Ittu: The Biggest, Best Grandpa by Laura Deal, illustrated by Thamires Paredes
Maniq thinks the world of her grandfather, her Ittu. She has returned from ice fishing with him and he gives her the largest fish as a gift to her mother. Celebrate the bond between grandchild and grandparent in this heart-warming slice of life with an Inuit family. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
How Nivi Got Her Names by Laura Deal, illustrated by Charlene Chua
Learn about the Inuit Kinship Naming Practices: many Inuit are born with a multitude of names, as opposed to the more common Western way of naming with a first name, middle name, and last name.
Nivi’s full name is Niviaq Kauki Baabi Irmela Jamsie. Each of her names was chosen carefully to reflect the many connections she has from influences past and present. For example, because she’s adopted from another family through Inuit custom adoption, her second name reflects her birth mother, Kauki.
Baabi, a special family friend, appeared in her mother’s dream, and his name, through her, keeps his spirit alive. Inuit kinship and naming customs, tuqlurausiit, are further explained in the forward and endnotes. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
A Symphony of Whales by Steve Schuch, illustrated by Peter Sylvada
A beautiful and haunting story about a Siberian girl who comes up with a plan to save hundreds of beluga whales trapped by ice.
“This is based on the true story of the rescue of beluga whales by the people of the Chuchki peninsular.” From Mom2girls [picture book, ages 4 and up]
I Am Loved by Mary and Kevin Qamaniq-Mason, illustrated by Hwei Lim
Indigenous children account for 52.2 per cent of children in foster care in private homes, according to 2016 census data. Indigenous children make up only seven per cent of the youth population in Canada. from CBC News
This is a story of an Inuit boy who now lives with a foster family. He reminds himself that he is loved by his mother (Anaana) who can’t care for him because she needs to get well. He also misses his large extended family.
This story is a reminder that more Indigenous kids are in care now than under the residential school system. “Foster care is modern-day residential school system: Inuk MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq.” [picture book, ages 3 and up]
The Woman and Her Bear Cub adapted and retold by Jaypeetee Arnakak, illustrated by Dayna B. Griffiths
A single mother and her young daughter find a polar bear cub and take it home with them. The polar bear cub grows up as a brother to the little girl and brings seals for them to eat. Eventually, the polar bear cub grows up and returns to the humans with its real mother. Sadly, they realize the polar bear cub must return to the wilderness but they are happy it found its mother. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Grandfather Bowhead, Tell Me A Story by Aviaq Johnston, illustrated by Tamara Campeau
A Bowhead whale tells the depths of his love to his grandson. The Bowhead whale is believed to be the longest-living mammal in the world with a life span of more than two hundred years! The Bowhead whale is named for the shape of its skull which can break through sea ice of up to seven inches! It is the only baleen whale endemic to the Arctic. [picture book, ages 0 and up]
The Origin of Day and Night by Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt, illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko
Inuit mythology, passed down in the oral tradition, explains how day and night came to be. Long ago, a hare and a fox controlled darkness and light using magic words. The hare helps the humans, making daylight last longer. The fox, who can’t see in the light, needs darkness to hunt. They decide to compromise, resulting in a split between day and night. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Song of the Raven: An Inuit Tale of Harmony with Nature by Amanda Hall
The Inuit creation story centers around a Raven who flies through a hole in the sky to Earth. The Raven, finding no creatures, created people, animals, and fish, and gave them a song to remember to care for the Earth. But when the people got greedy, the Raven took away the sun and the Raven’s song became faint and almost forgotten. One day, a woman drank a feather from the Raven and gave birth to a boy who would one day save his people and take his place in the sky. [folktale picture book, ages 4 and up]
The Little Folk by Levi Illuitok, illustrated by Steve James
Inuit folk tales include stories about a race of magical small people, known as the Little Folk. In this story, they adopt a human boy who goes hunting with them. He catches a lemming but the little folk describe it as a polar bear. When the boy checks on his catch, the lemming has turned into a polar bear. The Little Folk can make things bigger or smaller. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
The Owl and the Lemming by Roselynn Akulukjuk, illustrated by Amiel Sandland
Like an Aesop’s Fable, this Inuit story has a lesson to be learned. In the case of the Owl and the Lemming, the Owl gets outsmarted from his meal of the Lemming. The lesson is not to play with your food. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Families by Jesse Unaapik Mike and Kerry McCluskey, illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko
On his first day of second grade, Talittuq envies his cousin whose dad lives at home because his father lives in another city. He soon learns that there are all kinds of families at his school. His best friend Quakkai has three moms, and his friend Joanasie’s mom lives in another city. This book celebrates diversity in family structures within Talittuq’s Inuit community. [picture book, ages 6 and up]
The Shaman’s Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk, illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith
A very sick man needs to be healed and the shaman and her apprentice, her granddaughter, must travel to the supernatural underworld to discover his cure. This story of folklore/mythology reminds me of the Greek and Roman gods Hades and Pluto. The story also reflects the Inuit values of sharing, courage, and forgiveness. [picture book, ages 8 and up]
It’s Time for Berries! by Ceporah Mearns & Jeremy Debicki, illustrated by Tindur Peturs
Siasi and Siloah learn how to forage with their grandma, their ninguiq. She teaches them how to fish, dig for clams, and harvest wild berries. Together, they turn the crowberries, blueberries, and cranberries into delicious food. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
How I Survived Four Nights On The Ice by Serapio Ittusardjuat, illustrated by Matthew K. Hoddy
The Arctic with its harsh climate is a dangerous place to be in the depths of winter. The Inuit are taught survival skills to withstand even the worst situations. Serapio shares his personal story of survival in which not just his survival skills but his mental fortitude enabled him to endure four nights on the ice without shelter. In the endnote, the author says that he attended residential schools that focused on stripping him of his Inuit identity. His story is also one of preserving his culture with the skills and mental attitude that enabled him to survive his predicament but also pass on his knowledge to the next generation. [middle grade graphic novel, ages 8 and up]
Putuguq & Kublu and the Attack of the Amautalik! by Roselynn Akulukjuk and Danny Christopher, illustrated by Astrid Arijanto
Putuguq and Kublu visit their grandparent’s house where caribou stew is waiting for them, their favorite! Their grandparents tell them a story about how a little orphan girl outwitted the amautalik, an ogress who steals children. Kublu and Putuguq act out their own version of the amautalik for their grandparents. In this play, Putuguq has his own secret weapon … stinky socks! Their grandparents are delighted with this new version of an old folktale. [graphic novel, ages 7 and up]
Niitu and Chips by Babah Kalluk
A playful story of two best friends, Niitu, a little boy, and Chips, a seal. They decide to go ice fishing, and it’s a struggle for Niitu. Chips waits patiently but finally decides to help his human friend with a fish gift. The two best friends head home after a fun day together. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
As I Enfold You in Petals (The Spirit of Denedeh, Vol. 2) by Richard Van Camp and Scott B. Henderson, illustrated by Donoval Vaciuk
Curtis has returned to Fort Smith, newly sober and motivated to save his town. His grandfather had the help of the Little People who healed the sick but they vanished when he died. Curtis offers, Benny the Bootlegger, a gift in return for his grandfather’s house and hopes to get the Little People to return so he can rebuild hope in his community. This graphic novel references Inuit culture through the traditional tattoos featured on the characters. [young adult graphic novel, ages 12 and up]
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The Traveling Taco:
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
“Mama, Do You Love Me?” was a favorite in our house when my daughter was young. Just seeing the cover brings back such happy memories. I look forward to reading the rest of the books on this list!
Lovely book list! Thanks for sharing in the Big Giant Linky.