Kumak's River: A Tall Tale from the Far North

Kumak, an Inupiat man whose prior adventures were chronicled in Kumak's House and Kumak's Fish, returns in this third picture book, this time contending with the spring break-up of the river near his Alaska home, and the resultant ice jam and flood. Helping his family onto the roof of their house, and securing their dogs in a boat tied to that house, Kumak adapts to this seasonal occurrence, as do all of his neighbors, with families calling to one another from roof to roof. When the waters finally recede, Kumak, his family and all of the villagers must track down their belongings, as well as their dogs, who have drifted away...

Published in 2012, Kumak's River: A Tall Tale from the Far North was the third and final Kumak tale from show more author/illustrator Michael Bania, who lived and taught in the Arctic village of Buckland, Alaska for many years. Of the three books, it is the one that feels the least like a folktale, chronicling events that actually do occur in the region, when spring thaw sets in and the ice on local rivers begins to break up. I appreciated the way in which Kumak's village handled what would be a disaster in many other communities, staying calm and waiting out the floods, before working together to find everyone's missing belongings. I also appreciated the artwork, which captures the humor of the story quite nicely. Recommended to picture book readers who enjoyed the first two Kumak stories, as well as to anyone seeking tales with an Alaskan, arctic, and/or Inupiat cultural background. show less

I like the sense of easy community portrayed in this book, of all the neighbors companionably riding out "breakup" together and helping find each other's lost oil drums, toys, dogs, etc. The illustrations of families hoisting each other up on the rooftops and waving to their neighbors are particularly beguiling.