Book of the year award goes to “The Qalupalik”

The Qalupalik, a children’s book by Iqaluit author Elisha Kilabuk, has picked up a Book of the Year award from Quill and Quire.

Quill and Quire, a Canadian magazine of book news and reviews, chose the Inuit legend as one of five children’s stories to receive the distinction.

The award marks the first time that a book written by an Inuit author and published by a Nunavut-based publishing house has made the list.

The Qalupalik was published earlier this year by the Iqaluit-based Inhabit Media.

The story is based on an Inuit legend about the Qalupaliit, a mysterious and slimy creatures who lives under the sea ice.

Qalupaliit capture children through the cracks in the ice during the spring break-up.

But fortunately for the brave orphan in the story, the creatures are easily tricked.

The Qalupalik is the first book in Inhabit Media’s Unikkakuluit Series, which features traditional stories retold by renowned storytellers.

“Elisha Kilabuk wastes not a single word here,” reads a review of the book in Quill and Quire magazine. “Short, simple sentences deliver maximum impact . . . from the rich tradition of Inuit storytelling, a monster for a new generation has emerged.”

Kilabuk’s storytelling in The Qalupalik, illustrated by Joy Ang, has also recently positive reviews from several other Canadian publications.