We really enjoy folk tales, especially when they are from other cultures. I think this allows children to not only learn a lesson but also learn about another culture. Fish-Boy is a perfect combination of the two. The story tells us about an Inuit child living in the Arctic of North America. Fish Boy tells us the story of a little boy that has to travel with his new father and experience new adventures and villages that are not always nice to him. The little boy overcomes all the obstacles with a giant heart.

Fish Boy as told by Vanita Oelschlager was an Inuit folk tale about a mythical fish boy. While the illustrations in this book are beautiful, I felt the story was not executed well as a children's book.

I would have preferred to have read this from an Own Voices Inuit author or at least have credit given to the person or community this folk tale belongs to. While the author donates some proceeds from the sales of this book to a charity, it does not go towards benefiting the Inuit or any Indigenous community which makes this folk tale seem stolen from its community to profit off of.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy to read in exchange for an honest review. I will not recommend this book and would prefer to read Own Voices when it comes to stories and folk tales that are usually very tied to a community's worldview and can get lost in translation.

I would have liked for this to be a FN/AN/AI/NA/Indigenous own voices story.

The creators are respected scholars and the works really reflect their dedication to their work. I liked the multiple representations of arctic Indigenous silhouettes and beauty present here. There are explanations and interwoven linguistic aspects present, too.

I guess the thing giving me pause is that this is something I would have liked to see and hear from Native creators themselves. The end pages indicate that the authors intend to donate a percentage to charitable means, but they are not Indigenous focused ones. This work while aesthetically pleasing and interesting to read takes the ideas and culture of Indigenous peoples and takes money that could go back to Native communities through their creators or organizations out of their pockets.

I loved the story thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. I would recommend it for young adults as well as adults. The language might be a bit advanced for smaller children. The illustrations are beautiful and supported the story perfectly.

Vanita Oelschlager’s Fish-Boy is beautiful Inuit origin storybook. Even more beautiful are the illustrations. Mike Blanc has created gorgeous full, high color illustrations which bring the story alive. Showing that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, with a full array of emotions, the book will appeal to adults as much as to children.

What a beautiful book! I have never heard of a fish boy, or a boy who is basically an armless mermaid. I enjoyed the images the most. They are beautiful and draw the audience in. I love the way that the reader can learn about Inuit's through this tale, while also learning lessons from a folk tale, which I assume has been retold many times over the years. I liked seeing how different the fish boy is, and how there was no real discussion of how the boy is so different, other than no arms to use to help with fishing. There is no discussion about having a fishtail, which is a bit odd to me, but at the same time, I appreciated the lack of discussion on the topic. What I liked the most is the lessons that are taught and the emphasis on doing for others. Kindness is the main focus of the book and I think, in a world that is so harsh, it is a book that is vastly needed.

An excellent book for older readers.

A beautifully illustrated story filled with twists and turns galore. This story would definitely engage older readers and have them curious to learn more.

I had never heard this Inuit Folk Tale before and I am quite impressed with the illustrations which I imagine would have been challenging to imagine into being. I enjoyed the tale with many unique twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. I appreciate when old tales are retold in new ways. I think there is something truly wonderful about how this book teaches readers an important lesson by the end.

Just splendid ! This was a short picture book about an inuit folk tale and i loved how well the tale was executed so well . It is a tale that is passed down by a very old Inuit . This story is just so magical and it preacges an important lesson of how important hospitality is through a very simple yet beautiful story . The illustrations of this book were stunning , each picture was so detailed and all the colours fit perfectly with the vibes of the book .
Thank you to Netgaley for providing me with an arc in exchange of an honest review .

I received a free eARC of this book in return for a n honest review; thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

This picture book of an Inuit moral fairytale was beautifully illustrated and very approachable in the retelling of the story.

This book would be perfect for any older child interested in reading mythology.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review

This isn'y my favorite of Vanita's books. I feel like this is a bit too long as far as children books go personally, but the folk tale was interesting and not something I've read before

This is possibly one of the oddest little books I've ever read, but it was so heartwarming! I love tales that explain how things came to be, and this was no exception. Plus- SEA PARROTS!

This is a really cute story, even though i’m not well versed in this subject I enjoyed it sooo much.

A lushly illustrated, well told tale from the North American Arctic. Really liked how the tale was structured and how it served as a "just so" story or Puffins. There were a few terms (like strong man) whose significance were a little hard to pick up from context and it was unclear why the different groups of people would be friendly or unfriendly to each other, but on the whole a book well worth it for children.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Vanita Books for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book, and the opinions are my own. This is a children's book, and it is a Inuit folk tale. We need more stories like this one, to keep the oral traditions of societies alive. The graphics are wonderful, and the book is quite a surprise. Interesting tale. It might not be for the very very young but it is a good fun story. 5 stars. I think that most adults reading to children would enjoy this book. And young readers would enjoy it as well. Thanks

Fish-boy, retold by Vanita Oelschlager, retells the story of how sea-parrots come to live in the area. This is told by telling the story of fish-boy and his adopted father the fisherman of the village, Kitmesuk.

I am always looking for a variety of books from other cultures and plan to add this book to my classroom library. The story is a great example of folklore teaching us how the sea-parrots came to live in the area, and the artwork is beautiful.

I have been given the opportunity to read Fish-boy by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars!

This is a really fascinating story and I love books that encourage diversity and opening up horizons.
Inuit children are not scolded or punished and are taught gently with stories used as teaching points. I love this approach.
The story has some complex sentences in which meant my children switched off a little, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

I have received "Fish-Boy An Inuit Folk Tale" as a review copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is written for the age group of 5-9 and I found it age-appropriate.

If I divide the book into 2 parts, the story and artwork, both of them were nice. As the blurb suggests the story is about the folktale of the arctic region. It has all the factors that generally folktales cover, magic, and basic human traits. The artwork is the real gem of the book, which has won my heart.

Overall a good bedtime story for kids.

This is a nicely written Inuit story of why there are so many sea parrots in the sea. It discusses struggles and understanding. I enjoyed the Inuit background.

This is a tale about an Inuit myth of the North in a time long ago. The illustrations are superb and in keeping with the little I know of their art from the totems. It is the story of a magical being and his influence on the Inuit people and the puffins. The illustrations are beautiful and captivating. I plan to get a copy to share soon!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Vanita Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
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