The Origin of Day and Night

Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt, who made her debut with 2013's The Legend of Lightning and Thunder, returns to the traditional stories of the Inuit people in this second picture-book. A pourquoi tale explaining how day and night came to alternate in the world, it follows the at first competitive and then cooperative actions of Tiri, the Arctic fox, and Ukaliq, the Arctic hare. One prefers the dark for his hunting, the other the light for her foraging. Eventually they learn to balance their needs, and the demand for night and day...Like so many other titles I have read from Inhabit Media, an Inuit-owned press based in Nunavut, The Origin of Day and Night pairs an engaging retelling of a traditional tale with arresting artwork. I appreciated the fact that although the fox and hare are antagonistic - the fox hunts the hare, after all! - neither is depicted as the villain, and both of their needs are treated as legitimate and important. Finding a balance between the two is something that leads to a benefit for all. I also appreciated the power assigned to words here, as this - the idea that words are a form of magic that can make and unmake reality - is something seen in many traditions. The artwork by Lenny Lischenko is just lovely, and greatly enhanced my appreciation for the book. The color palette is limited, but suitable for an arctic setting, and the figures are stylized and appealing. I particularly liked the scenes with a dark background paper. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone looking for children's stories about the Arctic.