When the people of a small Greenlandic fishing village begin to go hungry, because the sea has frozen and there is nothing to hunt or fish, one hunter and his son appeal to an elderly couple for help. Once shamans, the old people no longer believe in their own powers, but agree to try anyway, leading the old woman on an underwater voyage to visit the Mother of the Sea. Enduring many hardships along the way - eaten by polar bears and walruses, she is reconstituted under the waves, only to confront new difficulties in reaching her destination - the old woman eventually succeeds in her mission to clean the much-polluted Mother, and brush her hair. Receiving wisdom in return, about the necessity of keeping the ocean clean, the woman returns to land, bringing with her a change that once again makes food available to the people...

Originally published in 1995 in Greenlandic (an Eskimo–Aleut language closely related to the Inuit languages of Canada) as Sassuma arnaanut pulaarneq, this traditional tale is clearly meant as a warning about the dangers of mistreating the natural world - particularly the sea. The figure of the 'Mother of the Sea' is common in many Inuit cultures, sometimes being known as the goddess Sedna, sometimes as Takannaaluk ("the one down there"), and sometimes (as here) as Sassuma Arnaa - the "Mother of the Deep." This story, reprinted this year (2019) by the Inuit-owned publishing house Inhabit Media, is not a creation myth (of which there are many) explaining how Sassuma Arnaa came to be, but rather, a tale concerning how humans came to the Mother of the Sea for help. As such, it emphasizes the dependence of human life on the natural world around us. I found the story here, told by Greenlandic author and storyteller Mâliâraq Vebæk, engaging, and thought that the artwork, done by Aka Høegh, was striking. I am very glad that Inhabit Media decided to make this Greenlandic children's book available again, and hope that they will bring more such books to Canadian and American readers! ( )