ABORIGINAL CAROL

This innovative interpretation of the Huron Carol, Canada’s oldest Christmas carol, is a collaborative effort by three Canadians of different ethnic backgrounds. Bouchard, a Métis poet, revised the traditional words to the carol; Beaver, a First Nations artist, provided stunning illustrations; and Aglukark, an Inuit singer, sings the carol in both English and an Inuit language on an accompanying CD. The intriguing illustrations use vibrant colors, surrealistic images and traditional First Nations artistic elements to convey both the specifics of the carol’s verses and the overall theme of the song. The carol’s text in English is followed on each page by a translation into Inuktitut. This second language is identified by name only on the jacket flap copy and on the label of the CD, leaving readers who are unfamiliar with Canadian history puzzled as to the origins of the translation. A more specific author’s note with background information on the Huron Carol and on the Inuktitut language would have extended the usefulness of this beautifully illustrated but ultimately rather mysterious volume. (Picture book. 5-9)