Marten decides to find his own path in life after the loss of his two brothers. On his journey, he runs into an eagle man who promises to bring his brothers back if he is willing to learn the gift of joy through singing, dancing and story telling. This story is about how these things came to the Inuit people through Marten's journey and how joy is a necessary part of our lives. I love the illustrations in this book. To me they looks faded and blurry, almost like the painted memories of a tale long ago. The language in the book is very descriptive and helps to place the reader in the moment and setting. ( )

Marten the young Eskimo boy wants his two older brothers to come home. The only way to do that is to learn how to be joyful. The Mother Eagle teaches him about joy and how to be joyful. He returns to his parents and teaches them to be joyful. This is a wonderful folktale. It is the first time I've read it. ( )

The Eagle’s Gift – by Rafe Martin, illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi
ELIB 530A LibraryThing Part C – Book 5 of 5 – motif: magical birds
This is a beautiful retelling of a traditional Innuit tale. It tells the story of how the gift of joy, dance, song and storytelling came to the people through an adventure that a young man named Martin had. Martin is the only one of three boys in his family to survive his hunting excursions and so is therefore watched over too closely by his mother and father. Finally, Martin convinces his father that he must be allowed to roam once again. One day while he is out a huge magical eagle approaches him. When he comes close, the eagle turns out to be a young man. The eagle man asks if Martin is willing to learn the gift of joy and how to dance, sing and tell stories. Martin doesn’t understand and so the eagle man tells him he will learn if he agrees to come along with him. The eagle man transforms into an eagle and carrying Martin on his back he flies to a huge house atop a mountain and meets mother eagle. She is old and weak but happy to see Martin. She tells him the world needs joy and asks if he is willing to learn how to bring it to the world. After Martin agrees he is given tasks to do and with each one the eagle mother gets stronger and younger. Once Martin has learned what he needs to know the eagle man flies him back home. Once home, Martin shows his parents what needs to be done and they learn what Martin was shown. Together they build a feast hall for people to come to hear stories and sing and dance. Soon people begin to arrive cloaked in animal skins. There were many nights of festivities where the people experience joy. When it comes time to depart they exchange gifts, but all agree that the greatest gift was the gift of joy brought to them. As they leave they all transform into animals that then carry the message of joy they learned as the first guests in first feast hall. And that is how joy spread through the world. The story’s message is that community and friendship are the foundations of joy and even though life may be hard at times there is always something to be joyful about. This story shows that animals passed on that wisdom to us. The book’s illustrations have a calm beauty that enhances the text.