The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish
I tend to view books and articles about Arctic exploration to be dull, but I found The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish to be very interesting and suspenseful. This amazingly- and intricately-illustrated picture book written following extensive research is based on a true story and includes black and white photos of the Inupiat family involved and other survivors of the arduous expedition. If I were tagging this one, I’d add the following keywords: uncertainty, hope, warmth, and patience. I’d also likely toss in “snow goggles,” but that’s probably just me. (If you’ve never seen indigenous versions, try an image search adding “Inuit” for some beautiful examples.) One of the features I liked best is the author always clearly indicates when she is imagining something versus stating a fact. This book should definitely make you ponder that human urge to explore and inhabit even the most hostile environments on the planet.
