The Raven Boy

3.0

0.0 (0)

161 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Rosemarie Avrana Meyok

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Marcus Cutler

Publisher Name

Inhabit Media

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

April 02, 2024

ISBN13

978-1772274943

ISBN10 or ASIN

In this retelling of an Inuit traditional story from the Western Arctic, a doll made by a poor old woman who is cast aside by her camp magically comes to life. The boy, with the beak of a raven from the materials the doll was crafted from, lives and is raised as the old woman’s son. When he is finally old enough to venture out on his own, he embarks on an epic journey to fight a beast from the depths of the ocean to create his own island world. This complex cautionary tale will leave readers pondering the values of empathy, vanity, and compassion for those less fortunate.

Editor review

1 review

Inuit Retelling

February 20, 2024

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

3.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

3.0

The Raven Boy tells the tale of an Inuit village long ago. There was an old woman with no one to care for her so she modeled a boy out of meat fat and gave him a raven beak. The boy helped her until he followed the hunters to catch a great beast in the sea. There he caught and raised an island. His actions on the island were questionable and the ending felt abrupt. I wish there had been backmatter to better describe the history behind this tale. I expect in a folktale that when the character doesn’t behave well there will be a moral that is easy to glean from the tale, but there doesn’t seem to be. I was left wondering what happened to the old woman whom he abandoned for his quest. Overall, I am left curious about this story's place in the Inuit mythology.