The Three Hunters

by Raymond Gianfrancesco

Akagaq, the youngest brother of three, is confident but forgetful. When he gets caught in a blizzard he makes a tent, but it is no match for the powerful wind. Trapped in the cold, Akagaq is helped by his brother Tiriaq. Tiriaq digs into a snowdrift for shelter, but the wind is still too strong and blows out their lamp. Akkiutaq, the eldest brother, arrives to save them, and brings them to the iglu he has carefully built. The wind threatens to destroy the iglu as well, but will Akkiutaq’s shelter be strong enough to keep the brothers safe? Reminiscent of the classic Three Little Pigs tale, this story shows how hard work can pay off. The brothers learn an important lesson about paying attention to their Elders, and taking care in what they do.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

36 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[IvyInThePages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children/Chapter Book
Type: Ebook
Worth?: Yes!

First I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this story for an honest review. First and foremost I just want to say how well put this book was, especially when a 4th grade teacher and his students wrote this. Honestly, I love it. The story had me pulled in and was really shocked that it ended. I wanted more. Lol.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without the blurb and other writing, it's a surprise to find what this text is doing, which is adapting The Three Little Pigs to an Inuit world. The wolf is replaced by the voice of the storm that threatens a trio of brothers out on the ice, hunting. The first just idiotically gets lost and shelters under animal skins he has with him, which is no good – but the second rescues him, and then the two are under threat. How will the third man get them all safely behind bricks and away from the storm's worst intent?

This was really enjoyable and clever. I didn't know what the basis of the piece was, to repeat, and so it was a delight to see the traditional story twisted so competently into something much more specific to a different culture. To that end, the text really does cram in the Inuktitut words, which doesn't help clarity for the 'westerner' at times, but this local flavour is not unwelcome. The art, even if created in Brazil, is perfectly in keeping, and the whole is really commendable, for all audiences anywhere the original story is known, and a few other areas besides. It does remind us all if necessary to engage with survival skills education, but it primarily acts as entertainment, and successfully delivers that very well. It's the kind of book that's right up my street, and for want of flaws (bilingual stumbles aside) it's a five star achievement.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ Review ✨ The Three Hunters by Raymond Gianfrancesco; Grade 4 Class of Leo Ussak School

Written by a group of 4th graders (Nunavut, Canada), this book is a retelling of the three little pigs. The book introduces us to a variety of Inuktut (Inuit) words (including a pronunciation guide in the back), immersing us in the language in an accessible way for English speakers.

The book features three brothers and instead of of a big bad wolf, the wind taunts the brothers, challenging the shelters they build in the storm. The wind, singing to the brothers, took on almost a playful trickster form in its taunts, which made this fun to read.

I wish this included a pronunciation guide for the brothers' names as well as the other words included, but overall, this was a well-crafted book that beautifully retells this classic story through an Inuit viewpoint. The book reinforces the lesson of listening to our elders and paying attention to what we're doing.

This would be a great addition to upper elementary classrooms to bring in other perspectives!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: picture book, fairytale retelling
Location: Nunavut / Northeast Arctic Canada
Pub Date: 01 Nov 2022

Thanks to Inhabit Media and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that a teacher and his fourth grade class put together based on folklore they had read of the Inuit, as well as classic Western stories, such as the three little pigs. The class was in the province of Nanavut, so it makes sense that the teacher would want children who were probably Inuit, to know their language, as well as come up with a variation of folk like stories of their own.

Thus we have a story of three hunters that are hunted, not by a wolf, but by the wind, and weather.

Great illustrations. Cute rhymes and lots of words in Inuktitut (the Inuit language).
Great book to introduce kids to culture that is not their own, but that they might enjoy learning about.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Lisa Gisèle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the privilege of receiving this ARK

Raymond Gianfrancesco and the grade four class of Leo Ussak School, you have written a very entertaining book that snuck in many educational tidbits along the way.

I want to thank you for adding the pronunciation of the Inuktut words in the glossary. Using both the English and Inuktut in the story was helpful as well, Hopefully I won't butcher the pronounceation too badly when reading it outlook.
The drawing are equally as entertaining as the story. The eyes of the huskies let us know how they felt about each brother and their hunting skills. The wind is just beautiful., just like snow being blown about.

This book is a gem and a fun fairytale.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of the Three Little Pigs. Introduces some Inuktuk words and includes a glossary and pronunciation guide at the end.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Inhabit Media for a free digital copy.

A retelling of a story told in Inuit legend. The story has a good lesson and the illustrations are excellent. I think this book can lead to some interesting discussions between adults and children.

[Kay S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great three little pigs retelling.

It really captures the eeriness that is missing from modern retellings. #bringbackthespooky!