A beautiful book based on Inuit myths as told to an explorer and then later translated and turned into a poem. This book is very pretty. The art that combines the animals and the humans was charming to look at and sparked the imagination. However, I wouldn't exactly call this a story. It feels more like the prologue to a great tale and no doubt there are many such tales in the Inuit tradition. I just wish the book had gone on to share one of them.

Gorgeous art, and I enjoyed the poem, but I'm not sure how this would work for young readers. Specifically: there's no narrative arc or main character. The concepts are pretty abstract (basically, magic of yore), the words pretty complex, and the ending a bit abrupt. I think kids could really enjoy the open-ended quality, especially accompanied with such beautiful illustrations, but I do wonder about this book's "sticking power". Will it be something they come back to? That keeps sparking their imagination? I'm not sure.

This is an Inuit myth about how animals and people used to be one and leave peacefully with each other.

Well, this wasn't what I expected.
I thought it would have much more of a plot, but you know what, I like it for what it actually is.

A myth from a culture most of us are not familiar with, written in a style that mostly appeals to children. I also appreciated the suggested moral of words having real meaning, that was there, besides the more obvious moral, about people and animals living in peace.

Plus, I liked the artwork, it reminded me of some illustrated books I read as a kid.

While the illustrations in this book were absolutely beautiful, the book itself felt a little short. I wish the text had been a little longer but the overall book was good.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Magic Words by Edward Field is a stunningly illustrated book that is a modern translation of an old Inuit creation story.

The problem with the story is that I only know what it's about by reading the blurb. I read the book without reading the blurb and was very confused until I went back to read about it, which means that it would be especially confusing for a young pre-reader or reader who is only just learning what an Inuit is or the concept of magic.

I wish some context had been woven into the book itself. It cannot really be called a story, it's an illustrated poem, more or less. It's beautiful and whimsical to me as an adult, but this isn't a book for adult's.

Great concept, mind blowing and perfect illustrations, but I don't like how it was executed overall.

Thank you NetGalley and Vanita Books for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a beautiful but short book that translates an Inuit creation story. It's very similar to other indigenous people's creation stories which is amazing. The illustrations are beautiful and include elements of traditional art.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Vanita books for my complimentary e-copy.

**I received an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review**

Short and sweet, it's an English translation of an old Inuit poem. Not much to say other than it's something I would give to my nieces and nephews.
Beautiful illustrations, and the colors are absolutely captivating.

An Inuit poem translated into English with striking illustrations. A very interesting tale of humans and animals being interchangeable species and words having special powers.

A Simple and Beautiful Children’s Book

The first thing you will notice about this book is the brilliantly colored pages. They are stunning and so bright. I love how they also reflect what Inuit art looks like. It truly gives a sense of culture. There aren't many words to this book, but they are actually from an Inuit poem. It gives a sense of the people's connection to the animals of their world and to the sacred power of words. For anyone who believes in the power of affirmations or mantras, the Inuits belief about them is in alignment with that. If you want to teach your child about the power of words or the Inuit culture—though perhaps you will have to do a little research and explanation of your own about them—this book might be useful.

This is a beautifully illustrated childrens book taken from Inuit legend about the power of words. I enjoyed the story and the illustrations. I wanted to re read it so many times because it was so interesting and unique. I truly believe in the sheer power of words and I LOVED how this book took a true legend and brought it to life on the pages.

Glorious illustrations with spare text that encourages young readers to envision their words having creative power. Such an essential lesson that offers opportunity for a teacher/parent to discuss how important it is that we choose our words thoughtfully, respectfully and kindly.

This book is a beautifully illustrated version of an Intuit story. I love the topic Magic Words that explores the power that words carry. This is a valuable book as a model text in the classroom, for increased cultural diversity, and for the simple elegance of the storytelling.
I received a digital galley copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
#NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations are beautiful and fit perfectly with the story. The text draws you in and is powerful. My only qualm is that it felt like there should be more.

„Magic Words“ is a short and magical story, shining particularly through its fantastic and authentic illustrations.

This little book has amazing artwork and a timely story. It is so important to understand how powerful words can be, and reading Magic Words can open that discussion. Definitely recommend!

This is a book where the title can mean so many things, especially when it focuses on an indigenous culture. As a result and combined with the cover photo it was hard to say what I was getting into.

Instead the story explains how the Inuit believed words were like at the beginning of time for their people as well as for the animals who lived around them. As a result it was a lesson on being careful of what you said.

The presentation was too brief though. Although there is a bit of a poetic rhythm and the wording made as simple as possible for readers to understand there was no actual ending. This may be the way this particular story ended but I wanted to know what changed to the words' magic and the relationships of the living beings. And no I am not wanting to be patient to see if another book is released that follows-up with the answers to the questions.

The illustrations are bright and busy on some pages while others they have room to breathe. As a result they can be a bit disconcerting to the reader while at the same time allowing the reader to become a part of the story.

All in all I am up in the air about this book. I liked it but was disappointed with the ending. The illustrations were gorgeous in many instances but they made me feel lost in others. There were no cultural words used so it was all English which feels like a translation. This will have to be a reader's choice for this book and not a recommendation.

***I received a free copy to read of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

This book captures a glimpse into the spirit of Inuit people and their connectedness with nature through Edward Field's poetic translation and Mike Blanc's captivating illustrations. In the notes of the creation of this book, it doesn't mention any connection to working with actual Inuit people. I wonder whether the abrupt ending could have been further developed if an Inuit storyteller was a part of the team. That withstanding, Mike Blanc created the most magnificent illustrations I've seen in a long time. Each time I read it, I noticed so many more details used to capture the true essence of the Inuit people.

I liked this book. It was very simple, and the illustrations were lovely. I do wish that the book had been written and/or illustrated by someone with Inuit heritage, but that is not a reflection of the quality of the book/story. It is a lovely telling of a traditional Inuit oral story.

A very delightful short children's book about Inuit oral traditions. A great and simple book for children and adults alike! I love all of the beautiful artwork and motifs in this book, and how the intentionally open-to-interpretation story encourages our imagination to wander.

This book was very cute with nice artwork. It was a sweet story about how our words have meaning and the ways in which man and animal were once one. I do think that it could have been longer with more of a story. Overall, very cute!