Rich and sweeping illustrations buttress this origin tale unique to Inuit mythology

Based on an acclaimed National Film Board of Canada animated short, The Blind Boy & the Loon is a retelling of a traditional Inuit story that explains the origin of the narwhal, an arctic whale known for its distinctive spiral tusk, while cautioning listeners against the dangers of seeking revenge. In this story, a boy who has been blind for many years is approached by a loon who says she can help him regain his sight. Before restoring the boy’s sight, the loon tells the boy that it was his own mother who blinded him while she was grieving over the death of her husband. Filled with a desire for vengeance, the boy tricks his mother into harpooning a large whale and allows her to be dragged into the sea by the animal. As the mother is pulled to the bottom of the ocean, her hair twists into a tight tusk and she becomes the first narwhal. The boy’s need for revenge leaves him and his heartbroken sister alone on the land. Alethea Arnaquq-Baril’s mystical, brooding animation has been adapted to a picture book format in this timeless tale.