Raquel Rivera’s third book is an entertaining blend of fact and fiction that transports readers to the Eastern Arctic of the early 1600s to witness the first meeting of two cultures. This adventure story opens as Tuk, an Inuit boy, sees a ship for the first time.   

Tuk’s people live off the land and sea, respecting and appreciating all the earth’s creatures. Because the Inuit are few and their hunters are fewer, they avoid taking risks like hunting Arvik, the clever and powerful bowhead whale. When European whalers arrive offering trinkets and tools in exchange for help securing a shipload of whales, the joint appeal of rewards and rare adventure is irresistible – even to some adults who realize the lures may well come at a cost. Although Rivera portrays the European “strangers” as a kindly lot, their presence upsets the Inuit community’s status quo, creating dissension and disappointment, and culminating in the book’s jarring closing line, “And now, Tuk had a knife.”  

A five-chapter tale, Tuk and the Whale has large print, double spacing, and 12 black-and-white illustrations by Mary Jane Gerber, a couple of them fittingly evoking scrimshaw art. Adept at deploying research, diversifying material, and engaging varied audiences, Rivera presents new, exciting, and thought-provoking content for middle readers.       

An author’s note, glossary, list of selected sources, and further reading recommendations add native studies resource value. However, adults should note that, while the selected sources attest to the depth of Rivera’s research, they are far too advanced for the book’s audience.