The Origin of Day and Night

by Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt, Lenny Lishchenko (Illustrator)

In this Inuit tale, the actions of a hare and a fox change the Arctic forever by creating day and night. In very early times, there was no night or day and words spoken by chance could become real. When a hare and a fox meet and express their longing for light and darkness, their words are too powerful to be denied. Passed orally from storyteller to storyteller for hundreds of years, this beautifully illustrated story weaves together elements of an origin story and a traditional animal tale, giving young readers a window into Inuit mythology.

Genres: Picture Books, Indigenous, Childrens, Mythology, Animals, Fiction, Retellings

30 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2018

Reviews

[Abigail]

Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt, who made her debut with 2013's The Legend of Lightning and Thunder , returns to the traditional stories of the Inuit people in this second picture-book. A pourquoi tale explaining how day and night came to alternate in the world, it follows the at first competitive and then cooperative actions of Tiri, the Arctic fox, and Ukaliq, the Arctic hare. One prefers the dark for his hunting, the other the light for her foraging. Eventually they learn to balance their needs, and the demand for night and day...

Like so many other titles I have read from Inhabit Media, an Inuit-owned press based in Nunavut, The Origin of Day and Night pairs an engaging retelling of a traditional tale with arresting artwork. I appreciated the fact that although the fox and hare are antagonistic - the fox hunts the hare, after all! - neither is depicted as the villain, and both of their needs are treated as legitimate and important. Finding a balance between the two is something that leads to a benefit for all. I also appreciated the power assigned to words here, as this - the idea that words are a form of magic that can make and unmake reality - is something seen in many traditions. The artwork by Lenny Lischenko is just lovely, and greatly enhanced my appreciation for the book. The color palette is limited, but suitable for an arctic setting, and the figures are stylized and appealing. I particularly liked the scenes with a dark background paper. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone looking for children's stories about the Arctic.

[Michelle Huber]

I loved the artwork in this, as well as the play on light and darkness!

[J]

This was a book whose cover caught my eye first. The way that it is designed reminds me of a million ways that the Ying Yang sign has been made but this time with a rabbit and fox.

The actual story also ends up reflecting the same polarity with both a predator species and a prey species who both need different times of day to survive. It does mention that the rabbit may become food for the fox but at least within the pages of this telling the fox avoids finishing the fight with a midnight bunny snack.

What I love about this is the fact that it does include Inuit names and Inuit words at least for the main subject but I wish they would give a pronunciation guide. It always made it more fun when I could actually try to pronounce the words the way they are suppose to send like Barloo and Shere Karn.

The telling is given in the right voice for its origins while capturing animal behavior in both the telling and its illustrations. As such it already feels so much more original.

The illustrations are charming and simplistic with a very easy color scheme. Like the cover it allows the reader to focus on the polarity and the actual environment with a few splashes of color thrown in to break-up the sameness.

All in all I would say that it is a very good origins tale for children or adults who want to know about the Inuit beliefs. Fun, simple to read and gorgeous it would make a great addition to any library.

***I received a free copy to read of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

[Ann]

The file for Kindle is a bit mis-formatted, so I can’t fully comment on what appear to be lovely illustrations in a traditional Inuit art style, but the characters and plot are well-drawn and we DESPERATELY need more non-Eurocentric myths and legends, esp. from #ownvoices writers and illustrators like those who worked on this book.

I received a complimentary e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin)]

I loved this so much!


FULL MINI REVIEW COMING SOON!



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[Elizabeth]

The Origin of Day and Night is an excellent telling of the Inuit story of how day and night as we know them came to be. The writing is crisp and fun, and the illustrations are gorgeous.

Definitely recommended!

[Edward Sullivan]

An Inuit orgin tale with striking, expressive iullustrations.

[Addicted2booksStefania]

Since it’s National Indigenous History Month, I wanted to make sure I was incorporating different stories into my reading. This one was really lovely!

[Tara]

The Origin of Day and Night is an Inuit story about day and night told through a fox and a rabbit. Good story for young ones with good vocabulary words.

[Rebecca]

This title was graciously provided to me by NetGalley for review. 

I chose it because I am an adult who shamelessly reads children's picture books, but also because of the cover art and the fact that it is based around Inuit legend. 

So, the story opens with Tiri, an artic fox, and describes how his nocturnal eyes help him steal food in a world where there is only night. This is also apparently a time when speaking things makes them real. I want a story on how that magic was lost from the world. 

Book publication! 

Debt eradication! 

See, magic is gone. 

So, we get introduced to our next critter friend, Ukaliq, the artic fox. 

I feel like he is going to be important to the story since, ya know, he is on the cover and everything. Well, this rabbit hoppy-hops his way in and says the word day. Now, remember whatever is spoken is real in this world so...you guessed it, day arrives. In a world that has always been dark I wonder how the rabbit knew what day even was. Well, our fox is a night critter who can see in the dark and so as the sun comes up he begins to lose it because he can't see. He is, as you would say, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT. 

*Badum Dum!* 

So, our rabbit friend goes and finds some moss to munch on and as he is munching finds the fox feeling around like a blind man in the dark and he says, "I like it better like this." So, the conclusion of the story is...

Well, you gotta read it to find out. 

It is a good story. The more into it I read, I realized that I was reading about a world much farther north than my Mississippi town. Far up north the summer daylight can last for, well, days; and, the winter night can drag on for weeks. Remembering this fact made the story more believable. 

I did enjoy this read. I would have to say that I will have to get a physical copy of it for my collection. 

[Theediscerning]

Well this was a very welcome chance to see a book from 2018 that Inhabit Media seem to be re-releasing. It deserves it, certainly – the simple-seeming story of how day and night were formed being a tale unique to the Inuit mindset and yet relevant to us all. The Arctic fox wants there to be night so he can hunt with the vision that being nocturnal has given him, but the hare wants it to be daylight. Luckily for them, their wish and their command come to fruition, the universe being so young at this stage. Unluckily, they cannot agree when night and day should fall, nor for how long. The visuals really elegantly show the animals creating and trailing their respective environments behind them, and thus we see the yin and yang of it all play out across the far northern landscapes. Yes, you can easily pick holes in the story, such as how the fox is blinded in the day, and how come humans are already pottering about at this prehistoric time, but this really was a great way to get this ancient legend across. A strong four stars.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

The Origin of Day and Night by Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt, illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko. PICTURE BOOK. Inhabit Media, 2018. $17. 9781772271805

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The arctic fox and the arctic hare are at odds because one, the fox, can see better in the dark, and one, the hare, can see better in the light. They use their words to call forth the light or dark respectively, and the battle becomes wearisome. Finally, they decide to split the time and thus we have day and night.

The illustrations look like chalk drawings on black and white paper and are very pretty. The story drags on a bit, but it is an interesting myth. I wish the book included more information of the Inuit beliefs and culture.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Lindsey Lawntea]

The Origin of Day and Night is a retelling of an Inuit folktale about two animals, a hare and a fox, who rely respectively on daylight and moonlight to find their food sources. As a result, there is conflict as neither can agree on whether it should be light or dark. They eventually decide to share and that is how day and night were created. The black and white illustrations are breathtaking and really bring out the atmosphere of the story and the duality of night vs day. This is an excellent bedtime story and great for teaching children about other cultures and folktales.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

[Gabriela Compres]

I would like to add this one to my classroom library one day. The author is an Inuit storyteller and writer, which is what inspired the way this story was told. I've heard many stories with a fox and a hare, but never one like this. I loved that there were many lessons throughout the story that children could learn from. For example, the fox and the hare learn that they can't have day and night at the same time, so they decide to take turns in changing the sky. This teaches kids about compromise, sharing, etc. It was such a sweet story!

[Shayna R.]

The story and myth are really cool, and I enjoyed that, and the illustrations are both simple and nice. The illustrations are in the simple style that reminds me of Inuit art, so it's perfect for this book (even though the illustrator is actually Ukranian-Canadian). The words get a bit repetitive though, and it could have been cut down a couple of pages to be more effective. Definitely a good introduction for children into Inuit folklore.

[Mya R]

Another book from Inhabit Media, the Inuit-owned publishing company. This is a child’s book of an Inuit myth. Neat illustrations. The tale is slightly choppy written down, would be better as mini play (not surprising if the culture has an oral tradition).

Content note for fox hunting other animals to eat, illustration of fox with lemming in its mouth. No blood or gore, but make sure you are willing to answer questions about what foxes eat!

[Stephanie Bange]

This pourquoi story of night and day is well-told, with charmingly cold blue and white illustrations by Lenny Lishchenko. This trickster story would be a great book to use as a model for writing pourquoi literature.

This book would be stronger if there was some background material about the history behind this story.

Recommended for grades PreS-5.

[Emily✨]

Gorgeously illustrated. I enjoyed learning about this traditional story, but there really wasn't enough meat to it to justify a full book on its own. Might have worked better in a compilation of stories.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!

[Rebecca Hill]

This was a really fun read. Dive into a different culture, and learn about how they share the beginnings of night and day.

I love that this story was one that was shared as an oral tradition for many generations before being written down. Being able to learn about different cultures, and their myths and legends is a wonderful treat.

Perfect for young kids who are learning to read!

[Jillian]

No rating

Read as an e-book

I found this picture book while browsing Libby and it was the cover that piqued my interest. Turns out, it's based on Inuit mythology, of which I'm unfamiliar. As the title suggests, it's the origin story of night and day, which are two forest animals competing with each other to make the sky light or dark. It's a simple story, accompanied by stunning artwork.

[Barbra]

The hare and the fox need different lights to live and hunt by. After arguing about when it should be dark and when it should be light they come to an agreement to share equally. A beautifully illustrated traditional story.

[Ember Air]

This was an amazing and beautiful re-telling of a classic Inuit tale. Wonderful for those familiar with the stories and those who have never heard of them. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to find more!

[Gps]

beautifully illustrated, Inuit folk story, but the storyline seems much too complicated, and reading aloud would require great patience.

so, a fine book, but I am not sure who the author sees as her audience.

[Donna]

Challenge: Indigathon November 2020 - New to me author/other than five 'civilized' tribes/other than US tribes/buddy read. A story about the power of works and an agreement between the artic fox and arctic hare. Important preservation and sharing of an Inuit legend.

[Danielle]

This was read with my son to introduce him to myths. The pictures were a fantastic play on dark and light. The style matched the half real half unreal nature of myths.

Solid picture book and a great length for a single sitting.

[Natasha Sklar]

My son loves this story

My son heard this story at school and he is insisted we read it again tonight. I purchased the book and enjoyed it. My son says he liked the “magic words”. I enjoyed the illustrations.

[Jessica]

A folk tale about how an Arctic fox and a hare cause day and night to happen. I wasn't much of a fan of the story, but I thought the illustrations were pretty neat. I liked the stark contrast between the dark and light.

[Bern]

My son is learning about Night and Day for our current homeschool science unit. I love to start a lesson with a picture book read-aloud. I like the interesting discussion that comes from reading a traditional story like this one!

[Dana]

Phenomenally illustrated and perfect for classrooms learning about indigenous stories! Super happy indigenous people are gaining autonomy over their stories and how they’re shared, makes my ndn heart happy

[Leslie Basky]

2019 Willows Nominee
Like the title says, origin of day and night FNIM perspective and told through fox and rabbit. Inter sting, yet simple illustrations.