Gr 1-6-Martin has attempted a difficult task-to tell children the story of the last voyage of the Karluk. The tale, told several times before by survivors of the Expedition, is by all accounts a dramatic one. The Karluk, a past-its-prime, wooden Aleutian fishing vessel, was appropriated by Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, who wanted to prove his theory that a continent underlay the Arctic ice cap. When the ship became icebound, he left the crew and a small I-upiaq contingent to fend for themselves. From there the Karluk drifted, was trapped fast in the ice, and then sank. Thanks to the skills of hunters Kataktovik and Kurraluk and skin sewer Qiruk (wife of Kurraluk), 14 of the party survived an ordeal that spanned 14 months. Briggs's poetic retelling focuses on the I-upiaq family, particularly Kurraluk and Qiruk's two young daughters. Evocative scratchboard illustrations show many details of the cultural and physical environment that cannot be detailed in the text. Black-and-white photos of the survivors will remind readers that this fantastic story is not just a yarn. The text may be too long to read aloud in one sitting to younger children, but there is no doubt that listeners will want to hear the whole story.-Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
"Stylized scratchboard illustrations in soft beige, brown, gold, blue, and green tones add an emotional charge to this well-researched story of an Eskimo woman, her husband and children who, in 1913, found themselves aboard a Canadian Arctic Expedition ship, The Karluk. Excellent for multicultural studies or a theme dealing with the Arctic or survival." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"Martin includes details that will fascinate kids (Inupiaq sunglasses–how cool!). The quiet, intriguing language, with a poet’s attention to sound, will lull young ones into the story’s drama, as will Beth Krommes’ captivating scratchboard illustrations, suggestive of Lois Lenski’s work in their rounded shapes and bold lines. With its picture-book format and well-paced chapters, this is a great choice for primary classroom read-alouds." — Booklist
"Beth Krommes’s scratchboard art is outstanding. Ice, artifacts, and characters are delineated in handsome black, softened with crosshatching and a limited palette that ranges from sealskin brown to ice blue; sweeps of white space pull readers into windswept vistas or set off cozy iglu interiors. Art, narration, and information are all perfectly integrated in a story that makes a fine introduction to arctic exploration." — The Horn Book
"Martin’s text for this thrilling adventure is spare and poetic. The illustrations perfectly echo the text and the designs of the far north. This book belongs in any study of the Arctic, of native peoples, of exploration and discovery and of bravery and tradition." — “Into the Unknown” by Carol Otis Hurst, Teaching PreK-8
