My Wounded Island

***This book was reviewed for Orca Books via Netgalley

**This book was translated from the original French by Sophie B Watson

Imarvaluk is a young Inupiat girl who tells her story of being forced to leave home because of a monster. In her native language, her name means 'song of the waves’, and once she lived along the coast of Sarichef. But then the sea turned against the people. An invisible sea monster drove the Inupiat away from their wee island home of Sarichef, nestled in the Bering Sea. He has made traveling the once safe pack ice a dangerous endeavour.

Now, instead of the song of the sea, Imarvaluk is surrounded by fear of this creature who eats away at their island home. Even though houses have been moved to the interior of the show more island, soon that won't even be enough. Her people will have to leave their ancestral island home. If they move to a city such as Nome, they are in danger of losing their traditions, and what makes them who they are.

The artwork of Wounded Island is just plain gorgeous. I loved the depiction of the invisible sea beastie as a human faced jellyfish creature. He was shown noshing on teeny Sarichef. This little book may be a children's picture book, but it tells a terrifying, sad story. It is the story of fear of losing home and identity to invisible, implacable forces. It's a wake-up to the dangers and full depth of devastation due to climate change.

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My Wounded Island by Jacques Parquet, illustrated by Marion Arbona and translated by Sophie B. Watson and published by Orca Book Publishers is the sad story of an island slowly disappearing into the sea.
A little girl lives on the Island of Sarichef near the Arctic Circle. Her village, Shishmaref, is home of the Inupiat people, her people who have lived there for generations but who will inevitably have to abandon the place of their ancestors because of the invisible monster lurking in the sea waters around the island. They will be forced to move, become climate change refugees, but what will become of their traditions and their ways if they are forced away from their home?
A beautifully illustrated and haunting examination of the impact show more of climate change, especially in the Arctic. Sarichef is a real island in the Bering Strait near the Arctic Circle. The melting of the pack ice has caused soil erosion, flooding, and the loss of protection against storms. It's sinking into the sea. In 2016 the community voted to move to the mainland but the costs associated with the move and the long term viability of the proposed new site are all in question. This story forces us to examine how we are living and the things we can change in order to slow climate change, including acknowledging that it exists and is a real threat. This storybook is the perfect jumping off book to lead to discussions of environmental stewardship. show less

I didn’t expect that this book would turn into an informative telling on global warming. It started off as a young Inuit girl being afraid of the sea and worried that it would destroy her island. This book shows how children’s imaginary perception on real life is. Imarvaluk thinks that there is a cursed creature in the sea causing this destruction, but in reality, it is the effects of global warming. This book can really help children understand the detriment that comes from the way we live life.

Imarvaluk, an Inuit girl, lives in the island of Sarichef. It is a very small island close to Alaska that is gradually getting smaller due to the rising water levels. She is scared of "the monster" that is devouring their island. It is forcing the settlement to move further inland each year. In the summer they head to the mainland to hunt caribou and return to the island in the winter. Many of the islanders are now staying on the mainland year round due to the shrinking island. Her grandfather is worried that if they have to move to the city, Nome, they will lose their culture and heritage. The illustrations are wonderful. They are done in watercolour and will evoke some real emotion in the reader. There is an explanation about climate show more change, what is causing it and how it is affecting places like this island. It is a very powerful message told in a way that children will easily understand and be able to relate to. A book that should be in all school libraries and/or primary/junior classrooms. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less