IT BEARS REPEATING
by Tanya Tagaq ; illustrated by Cee Pootoogook
A simple counting book woven with Inuktitut language.
A polar bear stretches to start the day. “Atausiq nanuq / One bear / One proud bear. / Stretching up to sniff the air. / One tall, long bear.” A page turn reveals two lumbering, powerful creatures sliding down the ice. “Marruk nanuuk / Two bears / Two sliding bears. / Fur is a perfect sled. / Two slippery bears.” The Inuktitut words are in a larger typeface and blue. The bears swim, hunt, and eat, gaining a new ursine friend each time. Every action is realistic except when the bears start to square dance, gathering in a circle, paws in the air—a somewhat out-of-place addition amid the deliberate and spare language. Pootoogook’s textured bears are fluid and sprawling; he employs a bird’s-eye view at times, looking down at the majestic, lumpy beasts as they swim and slide. After the bears complete a full day (and Tagaq counts up to 10), another reading is encouraged—hence the titular instruction. It does, in fact, bear repeating. Backmatter includes translation and pronunciation guides, as well as a URL to a video of Tagaq reading the book aloud.
An intriguing, culturally responsive primer.
(Picture book. 2-6)