In 1913, a Canadian research boat named Fish became trapped in the ice on an Arctic expedition. Along with a captain, crew, scientists, and explorers, the ship carried sled dogs and some Inupiaq people, including a family with two small daughters on which the story centers. In language as stark and elemental as the landscape, the author of the Caldecott Medal-winning Snowflake Bentley (1998) describes how the group survived using Inupiaq cultural traditions, which are presented in detail reminiscent of the Little House books. Impatient readers unimpressed by survival stories may find these descriptions slow going, but 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.

In 1913, a boat became locked in the Arctic ice. Aboard were several Canadian scientists, two Inupiaq hunters, one hunter's wife and daughters, a crew of a dozen, forty sled dogs, and a cat. Martin walks a careful line between fact and fiction, telling the story from the point of view of the hunter's eight-year-old daughter. Art, narration, and information are all perfectly integrated in a story that makes a fine introduction to Arctic exploration.

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.