Do the illustrations show all Native people looking alike or are the illustrations of people respectful (e.g., is the artwork characterizing people as childlike, out of proportion)? The artwork is beautifully done in oils and sketches of hunting tools and animals.

Are the clothing styles, homes accurate for the culture the book represents? Howard Rock captured the Inupiat clothing, scenery, hunting tools beautifully. The oils show the depth of evening and morning scenes.

Is the illustrator Native American? Howard Rock, an Inupiat from Point Hope, illustrated this book while living with Tom and Ellen Lopp (former teachers in Wales for 10 years) while attending the University of Washington as an art student. Howard Rock was a well known Native activist and Editor of the Tundra Times.

Are the characters using correct English or correct cultural language or interaction? The English language is well written. There is also a glossary of Inupiaq terms.

Are the words used engaging the student's interest and attention? The book starts with the month of July and ends with the month of June - when the whaling ships arrive - that is where the title of the story comes from. Neeluk is about 9 years old and each month he engages in activities - July, playing and pretending to spear fish in a small river on the beach that he and his friends create. In August, Neeluk and his family travel to Kotzebue to trade and while there Neeluk trades his cap for a puppy. September is the month when hunting activities include the preparation of skins for winter clothing - in the story Neeluk hopes for new winter mukluks. In October, Neeluk's mother and grandmother begin sewing new clothing with the needle acquired from trade with a whaling ship. November is the month in which Neeluk's dog begins training to learn how to be a team member pulling the dog sled. In December the women continue sewing while the children play outside. January through May, the men in the community, as well as the women, fish and hunt. In June the whaling ship arrives. The story has a lot of activity and talks about what the children are doing as well as what the adults do in the everyday life of the Inupiat. It is set for the age group 9-12, but as a grandmother, I truly enjoyed the engaging way the author writes about life in a small village.

Are the characters name's respectful of the culture? Yes, Neeluk's name is the name of a valley northeast of Wales. Other children in the Wemok, Ootenna, Konok and Weeana sound like the names from the Wales area.

Is the interaction in the book using vocabulary that shows respect between the characters?
There is great respect in the book: The author uses children at play to show how lives of children learned about Inupiat lifestyles by the boys pretending how to fish using moss as fish thrown in their own man made rivers and using their fish spears to catch the "fish." The girls are actively sewing doll clothes out of furs that will later be useful when they are making actual clothing. Neeluk also learns how to ice fish. There are many activities of the children in the book that shows how children learn through observation and practicing the skills.

Is the author Native American? The author is not Native American but she lived with her sister and brother in law (Tom and Ellen Lopp, taught in Wales approximately 1898 - 1908) as a teacher in Wales for two years. The Lopps learned the Inupiat language while there and ate and hunted the same type of food as the people of Wales. Their children also spoke Inupiat and had Inupiat names.

What value or belief is taught in this story? Neeluk and the boys he played with observed how the change in weather moved their man made river - learning how to observe weather. The boys used water proof boots in the summer and fur boots in the fall and winter - they learned the importance of hunting to gather the materials to make their clothing.

Are Elders represented in the story? Neeluk's grandmother and grandfather live with Neeluk's family in the story. Grandmother does sewing and cooking while Neeluk's parents are out hunting and fishing. Neeluk's mother also does sewing and cooking so chores are shared by the parents and the Elders.

How is the book portraying the knowledge of our Elders? The book is very respectful of the Elders. In February, Neeluk's family had only a little walrus meat left and they were skipping the mid-day meal so that there would be food for the evening meal. A member of the village caught a polar bear that evening and grandfather told Neeluk: "Let us not forget how often the meat of a polar bear has supplied our wants during times of famine and tided us over until there was good weather for seal hunting." When a whale was caught, the author writes: "Neeluk looked at the successful hunters, at the gigantic whale, and at the crowd of rejoicing people, he thrilled at the thought that someday he, too, would bring home a whale for his people."

Is this story a retelling of a traditional Native story? The author based the stories on the lives of the Lopps and her time in Wales, Alaska. It is based upon fact but fictional characters.

Is the person who originally told the story identified? No.

Is the person who originally told the story given credit as a co-author? No.

Is there written permission by the original author to have the story published? No.

Is the Native person in the story portrayed as a respectful, strong person? Yes, throughout the story, Neeluk's father and grandfather are strong hunters and weather observers. Neeluk's mother is also well portrayed with her skills at ice fishing with a spear.

Did the story give you an understanding of the culture the story represents? As an Inupiat, I related to the story through the hunting, cooking and sewing activities as well as the children's playing outside both in the summer and the winter.

Would you, being representative of the culture presented in the story, be proud to read this story to the public? This is a wonderful story for the public.

How did you feel after reading this book? I felt very positive about the author.

Would you recommend this book to be used by your school district? Yes.

Would you recommend that if approved by the school board to have the author align the story to the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools prior to being placed in the schools? Because this is a thematic book - based upon subsistence activities I think that any teacher can align the cultural standards to this story.