l to r: Ceporah Mearns and Tindur Peturs

Ceporah Mearns and Tindur Peturs bring readers a warm and inviting picture book with A Baby on My Back. A young girl named Silu visits with her aunt and baby cousin, and her aunt asks if she would be able to “pack her little cousin.” When Silu asks what that means, her aunt replies: “it means you pack your little cousin in an amaut and go for a walk!” 

Borrowing her aunt’s beautiful amaut, an Inuit parka worn by women with a large hood and built-in pouch to carry an infant, Silu prepares herself to take a walk with her baby cousin snuggled close. As her little cousin cries, Silu sings, “Calm, quiet, and in a deep sleep, my little packed baby,” until the baby falls asleep in the amaut. And when Silu returns to her aunt’s, she immediately smells the wonderful gift of bannock that her aunt has prepared as a thank you. 

Illustration: Tindur Peturs.

A Baby on My Back is a simply told story, but even with a pared-back approach, Mearns is able to imbue meaning, tradition, and intergenerational adoration into Silu’s story. Additionally, Peturs’s illustrations bring a cosy atmosphere to the story, most of which takes place within the aunt’s home, with a brief jaunt outdoors. Careful attention is paid to pleasing shades of blue, green, yellow, and purple. 

A Baby on My Back provides a reassuring look at sharing traditions and caring for both older and younger family members. Backmatter includes a glossary of key Inuktitut words used in the story, with pronunciation support for non-Inuktitut speakers.