I love this traditional Inuk tale re-told from childhood memory by storyteller Louise Flaherty. I love that this story would have been passed down through generations to encourage children to stay close to camp. ( )

As the author warns, this book is pretty gnarly. This isn't surprising to me though, as most fairy/folk tales are quite scary or gory, in order to prevent people (usually children) from doing something dangerous or wrong. This one is probably an admonition against wandering off on your own and going into random caves.

I love how creepy Inuit monsters are (especially the Qallupilluq), and I image they're so scary to me because a) I'm more used to western/European monsters and b) the things that the Inuit people need to warn their children of are just more terrifying to me. Being trapped under the ice sounds really really horrible.

This book definitely puts you in the creepy mood right from the start though - the endpapers are covered with the variously decomposing heads of children who have been kidnapped and decapitated by the Mangittatuarjuk - see here https://i.imgur.com/YuHlZJf.jpg?1

I like the details about Mangittatuarjuk's viscera being so strong, and the way she is finally dispatched is pretty great/gory. Good for folks who are into body horror and folk tales!

As winter approaches, the people in a seasonal Inuit hunting camp prepare for the cold, hard season ahead. Two girls, themselves caring for two younger children, wander out of camp one day, following a trail of beautiful rocks. When they enter a dark cave, and find themselves trapped by Mangittatuarjuk - an earth spirit who devours children and keeps their heads as trophies, this fearsome creature's name means "gnawer" in English - the girls must find a way to escape. Once they do, it falls to the hunters in camp to deal with this threat to their children, once and for all...

Like so many of the titles published by Inhabit Media, an Inuit-owned publisher located in Nunavut, The Gnawer of Rocks is a retelling of a traditional Inuit folktale. The story itself is quite frightening, something that seems to be the case with many traditional Inuit tales, from Kiviuq and the Mermaids to The Legend of the Fog (both also published by Inhabit Media). Louise Flaherty, who is apparently a co-founder of Inhabit Media, spins an engrossing tale here, and includes a glossary of Inuktitut words and an exploration of the meaning of the story at the rear of her book. Illustrator Jim Nelson delivers a chilling depiction of Mangittatuarjuk and her cave, matching the tone of the tale perfectly with his dark-toned artwork. Recommended to all young folklore lovers, especially if they enjoy scary stories, or have an interest in Inuit culture. ( )