Michael Bania

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 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.… (més)

Kumak, an Inupiat man living with his family in a small village in the "far north" of Alaska, returns in this follow-up to his initial picture book adventure, chronicled in Kumak's House. As the first days of spring arrive, Kumak realizes that it is a perfect time for fishing, and he and his family set out for the nearby lake, where they make holes in the ice, and patiently wait for the fish to bite. Our hero, using his Uncle Aglu's famed hooking stick, waits longest of all, until finally there is a powerful pull on the stick. Unable to hold on by himself, Kumak is aided by his family, and eventually the entire village, all pulling together to get the fish out of the water. But what is the fish doing...?

The second of three picture books featuring Kumak and his village—the first being the aforementioned Kumak's House, the third being Kumak's River—from author/illustrator Michael Bania, who lived for two decades in the Arctic, Kumak's Fish: A Tale of the Far North is a title I found (along with its companions) in the folklore section of my local public library. That being said, although the first book is folklore adjacent (it seems to be an Arctic retelling of the Yiddish folktale, It Could Always Be Worse), this book is more of an original tall tale, one in which humans and fish play a game of tug-of-war. The story is amusing, and the accompanying artwork expressive, ably capturing the humor of the scenes being depicted. Recommended to picture book readers who enjoy folktale-style stories, as well as to anyone seeking tales with an Alaskan, arctic, and/or Inupiat cultural background.… (més)

With his entire household—wife, wife's mother, children—unhappy with their small house, an Inupiat man named Kumak goes to the oldest, wisest elder in his village for advice in this humorous "Tale of the Far North." Aana (grandmother) Lulu advises inviting Rabbit and her family to move in with them, which Kumak promptly does, only to find the house smaller than ever! In a series if visits, this wise old elder—herself engaged in a variety of traditional crafts—advises inviting more and more animals to share the abode, until finally Kumak's house is full to overflowing. Her final piece of advise, to eject all of these visitors, leads to the desired result: now the house doesn't feel so small...

Published in 2002, Kumak's House: A Tale of the Far North is the first of three picture-books devoted to the adventures of the titular hero—subsequent titles being Kumak's Fish: A Tale of the Far North (2004) and Kumak's River: A Tall Tale from the Far North (2012). Michael Bania, the author/illustrator, lived for many years in Buckland, Alaska, where she raised a family and taught in the local school. According to her detailed afterword, the story here was inspired by traditional folktales, but was created to give Bania's students an original story set in their own village. For this reason, I have classified both as a fairy-tale, and as folklore (as it is folklore adjacent). As it happens, I discovered it in the folklore section of my public library, and decided to read it for that reason. All in all, I thought it was an engaging tale, with a silly sense of humor that will no doubt appeal to younger children. The artwork, which looks like it was done in watercolor, is cute, and captures the sense of humor throughout. The story here is quite similar to the Yiddish folktale, It Could Always Be Worse, making me curious to know whether there is an Inupiat variant of the tale type, that Bania used as inspiration. With all the animals crowding in to Kumak's house, I was also reminded a bit of the Ukrainian tale of The Mitten. Unfortunately, Bania's extensive afterword gives plenty of information about traditional Inupiat activities, but doesn't specify the exact stories which inspired her own. Leaving that aside, this is one I would recommend to young readers who enjoy folktales and folktale-style stories, as well as to anyone seeking picture-books with an Alaskan, arctic, and/or Inupiat cultural background.… (més)