The Fox Wife, written by Beatrice Deer and illustrated by D. J. Herron. Inhabit Media, Fitzhenry & Whiteside. 2019. $16.95 ages 6 and up

"The fox watched as the
family set up their camp.
The man held up some long
driftwood while his wife
draped many sealskins sewn
together over the wood to
make a tent. The boy placed
the large stones he had moved away earlier to hold the tent ... "

This is traditional Inuit folklore, told with a contemporary bent. On the night that the beautiful red fox falls from the sky, there is no one to see it happen. As she explores her new surroundings she hears a new sound that stimulates her curiosity and leads her toward it.

She takes note of a family close by - a father, a mother, their young son, and a baby on the mother's back. The family works as the fox takes note of their attire and their actions. She has a particular interest in the amanti that the woman is wearing to carry her little one. She is so intent on it that she only suddenly realizes the older boy is close by and watching her. She flees, knowing she must be more careful in the future.

She follows the family through many seasons as they roam from place to place in search of food. She learns the ways of the family, only rarely seen by the older son.  When it is time for the young man to leave his family and fend for himself, the fox follows him. Returning from the hunt, Irniq is surprised to find his tent clean, food and tea awaiting his return. He is determined to find who has done it. As he watches from a hiding place, he notices the fox enter his tent. There he is finds a woman who tells him she is his wife.

"Not wanting to be alone,
Irniq decided to accept her
answer and keep her as his
wife. Still, he wondered what
had happened to the fox."

After a time, Irniq begins to complain about a musky smell in the tent. His complaints hurt his wife, and force her to make the decision to take up her former self. She cannot endure the indignity of being judged for who she is and is afraid to speak the truth. It is a sad ending to their love story.

The illustrations present the beauty and the loneliness of the tundra on full-page spreads that speak to its the vast and boundless space.