I Am a Rock - by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Pauloosie loves his pet rock, Miki Rock. Pauloosie's Anaana, his mother, tells him a bedtime story about what Miki Rock sees, hears, and feels in his Arctic home. As part of the land, Miki Rock sees char and beluga, listens to chirps and howls, and feels the snow and sun. Through lyrical text and ethereal landscape illustrations by Pelin Turgut, readers are taken on an Arctic journey from the point of view of a most unlikely object--a child's pet rock."--

Book Synopsis

Pauloosie loves his pet rock, Miki Rock. Pauloosie's Anaana, his mother, tells him a bedtime story about what Miki Rock sees, hears, and feels in his Arctic home. As part of the land, Miki Rock sees char and beluga, listens to chirps and howls, and feels the snow and sun.

Through lyrical text and ethereal landscape illustrations by Pelin Turgut, readers are taken on an Arctic journey from the point of view of a most unlikely object--a child's pet rock.

Review Quotes

In this story, Pauloosie and his mom engage in imaginative play and consider their community from the point of view of his pet rock, Miki Rock. They imagine Miki Rock saying that he lives on the shoreline and notes the animals and weather that come with each season, revelling in what makes each time of the year different and special. While cyclical change is constant for Inuit, the weather, the seasons, the rocks, and the waterways need to be respected and protected. In order to live in harmony, it is important to understand and respect seasonal changes, especially if one is counting on the gifts of the land and water with fishing, hunting, or gathering. Regardless of where one lives, familiarizing oneself with local natural areas is how one lives in relation with the land.

-- "Alethea S., Elementary School Teacher, Indigenous Books for Schools"

"Lyrically naming the myriad beautiful animals and plants, the turning of the seasons, and the ways in which the world provides sustenance and joy for the Inuit people makes for the perfect lullaby. "

-- "Canadian Review of Materials"

"Ashley Qilavaq-Savard gives us a story of companionship and feeling that speaks to consciousness and awareness...It may be Pauloosie's Anaana who is giving that life to Miki Rock but, as a reader of I Am a Rock, I am convinced, as I'm sure Pauloosie is, that life exists within that rock."

"In soft-edged scenes that foreground the Inuit-cued parent and child alongside Miki Rock, Turkish illustrator Turgut connects domestic moments with sprawling landscapes, while sensory lines from Inuit author Qilavaq-Savard links Pauloosie--and readers--to the land through Miki Rock's experiences."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

Ashley Qilavaq-Savard is an Inuk writer, artist, and emerging filmmaker born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is the author of Where the Sea Kuniks the Land, which is about decolonizing narratives, healing from intergenerational trauma, and love of the land and culture. She has published two short stories relating to her Inuit culture, "My Very First Ulu" with Nipiit magazine and "Miki and the Aqsarniit" with Chirp magazine. Since attending the Vancouver Film School, Ashley has led acting and storytelling workshops for children and youth with the Qaggiavuut Performing Arts Society and the Labrador Creative Arts Festival. Ashley also creates sealskin and beaded jewellery, and is a dedicated student of Inuktitut.

Pelin Turgut is an illustrator, born and raised in Turkey. She completed her undergraduate studies at Yeditepe University of Fine Arts, Faculty of Graphic Design. Since 2018, she has illustrated many children's books. In fact, she wants to be a children's book one day, when she grows up. Pelin loves what she does and she continues to work in her studio in Bodrum to make her dreams come true.