How I Survived: Four Nights on the Ice

Gr 4-8–Ittusardjuat offers a true account of a snowmobile commute gone wrong. As he heads back home from a fishing camp on the Arctic ice, his vehicle sputters off the main trail. Trying to stay warm and hydrated over the course of four freezing nights without shelter, he draws upon decades of Inuit community knowledge lying dormant in his memory. A particularly impressive moment comes when he uses gasoline to melt ice into water to make it suitable for drinking (consuming ice can cause frostbite). The stakes are personal, making the action all the more intense—anyone could find themselves in a similar situation. The emphasis on using shared knowledge captures the mission of the book’s publisher, Inhabit Media, which produces children’s books reflecting Inuit culture and traditional knowledge. The simple and undramatic illustrations work wonders. Though art and text are matter-of-fact, the narrative is compelling; in a swift 48 pages, we’re taken on the ride of a lifetime.