Arctic Som by Jean Craighead George

I. n the Arctic, things are very different. There are no trees. The land is flat. The sun does not set in the summer or rise in the winter. In the Arctic, the Eskimo people welcome all children. If a baby is not Eskimo, it makes no difference. He is given an Eskimo name. When Luke was born, his parents' friend Aalak gave him the name of Kupaag, after Aalak's father. Eskimo life at the top of the world has adjusted to the long summer day and the long winter night, the severe cold, and the arrival and departure of wildlife. Under Aalak's gentle guidance Kupaag learns to live in this adventure-filled world. The warmth of the Inupiat Eskimo culture shines through in the pages of this book, a stunning tribute to the Arctic and its inhabitants.