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Immi
Two children half a world away from each other are connected in an unexpected way in this timeless, fanciful story
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
January 30, 2022
Immi - a young Inuit girl who appears to live all by herself in the vast arctic wilderness - goes ice-fishing one cold day, and lands a most unexpected catch: a brightly colored wooden bird. Adding this beautiful token to her necklace, she continues to fish, and winds up with many similar items, which she uses to decorate her igloo. When the winter comes to an end, and her igloo melts, Immi places her white bear necklace in the water, as a means (one presumes) of returning the blessing she has received through this mysterious means. Halfway around the world, a young boy on a tropical island discovers the white bear in the water one day, when he goes down to the shore to toss in a brightly-colored token...
Although I appreciated Immi's Gift on one level - as a sort of fantasy highlighting the idea that, though we may live in far-flung corners of the globe, we are all connected - and thought the artwork was lovely, I also found myself somewhat uncomfortable with Karin Littlewood's choice of cultural background, for her heroine. Unlike titles such as Whale Snow - an outstanding picture-book with Inuit themes - Immi's Gift felt less like a story about a real Inuit girl, than an Englishwoman's fantasy about a generic igloo-dweller of the far north. I realize, of course, that part of the point here is the contrast between tropics and arctic, but the persistent social critic in my head would not be silenced, as I read, and I couldn't help wishing that, in her quest to highlight the connections between children, Littlewood had stuck a little closer to home, rather than seeking after the 'exotic.'
Still, the artwork is beautiful (hence the three stars), and the narrative (leaving cultural issues aside) engaging, so readers might want to take a look at this one, and decided for themselves.
Although I appreciated Immi's Gift on one level - as a sort of fantasy highlighting the idea that, though we may live in far-flung corners of the globe, we are all connected - and thought the artwork was lovely, I also found myself somewhat uncomfortable with Karin Littlewood's choice of cultural background, for her heroine. Unlike titles such as Whale Snow - an outstanding picture-book with Inuit themes - Immi's Gift felt less like a story about a real Inuit girl, than an Englishwoman's fantasy about a generic igloo-dweller of the far north. I realize, of course, that part of the point here is the contrast between tropics and arctic, but the persistent social critic in my head would not be silenced, as I read, and I couldn't help wishing that, in her quest to highlight the connections between children, Littlewood had stuck a little closer to home, rather than seeking after the 'exotic.'
Still, the artwork is beautiful (hence the three stars), and the narrative (leaving cultural issues aside) engaging, so readers might want to take a look at this one, and decided for themselves.
August 17, 2011
The illustration of Immi on the cover captivated me and I knew I had to read this book! The illustrations are absolutely wonderful. I love the style and the feelings they inspire. This is a gentle and sweet story of finding unexpected treasures, and of appreciating "foreign" things as Immi decorates her igloo with many colorful natural treasures she fishes from the sea and invites her animal friends to come share it with her. If you look at the back cover illustration, the ending probably won't be a surprise for you but I thought it was endearing, none the less.
October 2, 2023
Our curriculum’s pick for the letter I. A lonely girl living in the Arctic finds colorful treasures while fishing, and they bring her joy and unexpected friendship through the cold, dark winter. The ending makes me tear up a little, in a good way.
August 28, 2011
Immi's Gift by Karin Littlewood focuses on a girl in the Arctic who finds small treasures while fishing that brighten her cold, snowy life. A connection between children half a world away is the endearing conclusion to a wonderful tale.
Immi's world is brightened as she finds a small bird charm, followed by a variety of colorful, natural items from far away with which she decorates her igloo. The colorful decorations attract a variety of animals who stay with Immi and make her winter warm and happy. As the weather warms, and her friends depart, Immi gifts her Polar Bear charm to the sea. In the final pages we discover an island boy who has been sending the colorful items toward Immi. He dicovers her Polar Bear charm in the sand and keeps it. The back cover has the summary moral: Sometimes the simplest gifts bring the greatest joy.
The endearing, sweet story is well paced. The large font is easy to read, making this a great choice for transitional readers. It also makes this a fine read-aloud choice.
The illustrations were created with colored pencils and washes of watercolors and gouache. They are beautiful, appealing, and become even more colorful as the story progresses. I really loved the illustrations, particularly the pictures of the animals with Immi in the igloo, and the two page spread showing all the animals under the ice as Immi fished.
Immi's Gift is destined to become a beloved book, and will likely make Best lists and get awards attention.
For ages 3 to 7, imagination, story-time, world, animals, nature, gifts, connectivity, multi-cultural, first-nations themes, and fans of Karin Littlewood.
Immi's world is brightened as she finds a small bird charm, followed by a variety of colorful, natural items from far away with which she decorates her igloo. The colorful decorations attract a variety of animals who stay with Immi and make her winter warm and happy. As the weather warms, and her friends depart, Immi gifts her Polar Bear charm to the sea. In the final pages we discover an island boy who has been sending the colorful items toward Immi. He dicovers her Polar Bear charm in the sand and keeps it. The back cover has the summary moral: Sometimes the simplest gifts bring the greatest joy.
The endearing, sweet story is well paced. The large font is easy to read, making this a great choice for transitional readers. It also makes this a fine read-aloud choice.
The illustrations were created with colored pencils and washes of watercolors and gouache. They are beautiful, appealing, and become even more colorful as the story progresses. I really loved the illustrations, particularly the pictures of the animals with Immi in the igloo, and the two page spread showing all the animals under the ice as Immi fished.
Immi's Gift is destined to become a beloved book, and will likely make Best lists and get awards attention.
For ages 3 to 7, imagination, story-time, world, animals, nature, gifts, connectivity, multi-cultural, first-nations themes, and fans of Karin Littlewood.
August 25, 2019
I won't repeat the story, because there are already many reviews that do. I'll just add a few opinions and observations.
There are happenings in this book that are unrealistic and unlikely, yet it does not present somehow as a fantasy - even while the little girl's friends are all animals. It just feels like from the beginning, her living alone, is part of the rules of the world of this book. So when the ending happens, it does not feel absurd - though if coming in from a scientific world, one would wonder how this is possible.
The message of connection is clear, the art endearing, and the additional visual metaphors all help to make this book have its unique voice.
ie:
When Immi adds the colorful gifts to the igloo it becomes visible = visibility brings welcome - standing out can be a good thing. Immi wanted friends to visit, her idea to decorate her igloo expanded her local world.
Are the animals real here? They told stories "of faraway lands." Or is the writer pulling us into the idea of drawing worlds closer together?
The art is showing animals as another level of connection for us... humans are part of the animal world / perhaps we can even communicate together if we listen.
Small gifts given with the heart may change another's life, even if we can not see it.
Finding a "gift" and receiving it with heart connection - a knowing that even when not seen who gave it or lost it, to has come from another... a form of connection is formed in feeling this.
Lovely. It may change the way you feel in future in your walks along the beach or hiking path, or even a city street.
There are happenings in this book that are unrealistic and unlikely, yet it does not present somehow as a fantasy - even while the little girl's friends are all animals. It just feels like from the beginning, her living alone, is part of the rules of the world of this book. So when the ending happens, it does not feel absurd - though if coming in from a scientific world, one would wonder how this is possible.
The message of connection is clear, the art endearing, and the additional visual metaphors all help to make this book have its unique voice.
ie:
When Immi adds the colorful gifts to the igloo it becomes visible = visibility brings welcome - standing out can be a good thing. Immi wanted friends to visit, her idea to decorate her igloo expanded her local world.
Are the animals real here? They told stories "of faraway lands." Or is the writer pulling us into the idea of drawing worlds closer together?
The art is showing animals as another level of connection for us... humans are part of the animal world / perhaps we can even communicate together if we listen.
Small gifts given with the heart may change another's life, even if we can not see it.
Finding a "gift" and receiving it with heart connection - a knowing that even when not seen who gave it or lost it, to has come from another... a form of connection is formed in feeling this.
Lovely. It may change the way you feel in future in your walks along the beach or hiking path, or even a city street.
September 18, 2017
Immi's Gift was about a little Inuit girl who found beautiful pieces of colorful things to add to her necklace that she wore. She would use these things that she found to decorate her igloo. Animals from all over would come tell her stories of their home and look at her igloo. When the ice melted and her family had to leave, she put her favorite piece of jewelry in the ocean where a little island boy found it and we learned that the little boy had previously placed his favorite in the ocean and Immi found it earlier in the book.
I think that this book's illustrations do a wonderful job of accurately depicting the story. The story I feel like could have more depth but overall it was cute!
I would use this book to do a story map where we discuss the character, the problem, the setting, key events, and the solution. I think that this book would be great for that because it has a connection at the end to the beginning.
I think that this book's illustrations do a wonderful job of accurately depicting the story. The story I feel like could have more depth but overall it was cute!
I would use this book to do a story map where we discuss the character, the problem, the setting, key events, and the solution. I think that this book would be great for that because it has a connection at the end to the beginning.
Read
July 23, 2020Overall, I believe that this is a good book that could be used to communicate how a person can help or make friends with another person far away.
This book was about a girl named Immi. She lived alone in an igloo and always fished one extra fish in case anyone came to her igloo. One day she started catching objects like a wooden bird and a flower which she put on her igloo which attracted friends. The friends always stayed to keep Immi company. One day, as the ice melted and it was time for Immi to move on she added her own item()to the sea for someone to find. Then it is revealed that a little boy walking across the beach is throwing "The brightest thing he can find" and he receives Immi's item.
This book was about a girl named Immi. She lived alone in an igloo and always fished one extra fish in case anyone came to her igloo. One day she started catching objects like a wooden bird and a flower which she put on her igloo which attracted friends. The friends always stayed to keep Immi company. One day, as the ice melted and it was time for Immi to move on she added her own item()to the sea for someone to find. Then it is revealed that a little boy walking across the beach is throwing "The brightest thing he can find" and he receives Immi's item.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2018
For 2018 I decided that I wanted to read one new-to-me children's book per month. I found this one in the library and it was perfect for a snow day read. The story is cute, the pictures are beautiful, and the moral behind the story is great. Even though I am an adult, I was able to relate to Immi and her love of beautiful things immediately. Highly recommended.
February 19, 2019
This was cute. It wasn't one of the better books I've read. It does expose children to different cultures and ways of life (Immi lives in the snow, perhaps the North pole area but the book doesn't specify) and the boy at the end lives somewhere warm. The story line definitely could not happen in real life but it was ok.
December 16, 2023
Very enjoyable both visually and textually. A girl ice fishes and starts finding colorful decorations. As a way of giving back, she drops her polar bear necklace in the water. At the end it is revealed where the colorful objects came from. I loved the page that showed everything in the water under the ice. It was beautiful!
October 16, 2019
Immi lives in an igloo and ice fishes to feed herself. One day she pulls a little wooden bird out of the water and that begins an adventure of finding all kinds of colorful things to brighten up her white world. A nice twist at the end. A decent, but not outstanding, read aloud.
September 11, 2021
Immi, who lives in a snowy expanse, keeps pulling out colorful objects while fishing. When she throws in her own pendant, a boy in a tropical climate finds it washed up ashore. Turns out they were connected to each other even though they lived very different lives and experiences.
March 2, 2023
A cute picture book about an Inuit girl's findings in the water. The twist ending was fun. My eco-concious daughter was a bit concerned about the book encouraging people to throw items into the ocean.
June 24, 2017
BL 2.5
0.5 pts
0.5 pts
December 13, 2018
A young child in the arctic pulls treasures from the sea and makes new friends with the collection. Twist ending. Elementary and up
October 9, 2019
I did like the parable of...communication with another culture/person far from you does enrich one's life in a colourful way.
January 13, 2020
A beautiful story about a girl who fishes treasures from the sea and then returns the favour with a gift of her own.
June 26, 2020
Beautiful art and beautiful message. We read this for our summer reading challenge. This was the read a book with an indigenous main character challenge.
July 28, 2021
My girl loved it.
March 16, 2022
Really beautiful pictures
May 16, 2023
Cute book, kids enjoy
June 24, 2023
Such a cute book! Really short, I loved the illustrations and the message it sends. I wish there would have been more to the story but my kids loved the ending and the story.
August 8, 2023
Bem fofo. Adorei as ilustrações. Na verdade, adoro livros coloridos. Tudo é muito fofo.
December 28, 2023
The story resonated with something inside of me. It feels like love. Beautiful art too
May 10, 2024
Sharing culture
December 15, 2016
One of the hardest parts about raising a child is trying to filter what they are exposed to. I know that Bug will eventually witness the meanness, hate, and dishonesty that tend to flit selfishly about our world. As much as I wish I could prevent him from seeing any of that, as a parent my job is only to make sure he’s equipped to deal with such unwelcome attributes. So I try and provide good examples of kindness, love, and honesty. I carefully choose my words, I model it in how I speak to others, and I provide books that I feel are good examples these traits. I do not always succeed in being this paragon of virtue but I think that too is a lesson in itself. And when we witness something that I don’t agree with I talk to Bug about it, in hopes that when he does see things that I wish I could protect him from that he will be able to understand, resist, and expel such influences from his life and the lives of those around him. This week we’re going to be focusing on kindness, hope, and acceptance and I’m so excited to start out with Immi.
Immi is an Inuit girl who while fishing one day pulls a small wooden bird from the water. She’s surprised and pleased by the unexpectedly beautiful addition to her day. Additional items seem to find her and bring light into her life as she shares them with those around her. One day she drops her own charm into the fishing hole. Faraway as a boy goes to throw a beautiful object into the ocean, he notices a small white bear wash up on shore. The story ends leaving the reader to wonder about the outcome and the two main characters with whom we are presented but leaves no doubt in our minds as to the power of small random acts of kindness. It’s a powerful message that’s artfully told while respecting the reader’s ability to insinuate the meanings. While young readers will need to discussions to understand the implications of the story, it is written well and simply enough for older children to understand and even discuss the theme and moral.
Littlewood’s beautifully fluid style seems to flow from page to page. It hammers home the stark barrenness of Immi’s icy world and the lush vibrancy of the boy’s topical paradise. It alludes to the beauty and depths of world under the ice and makes the reader smile along as Immi’s world is brightened with each small gift of kindness. Each page seems to have a charm that is only enhanced by a rough sketch like quality that reminds me of a dream and that small acts of kindness can only be reality if we choose to make them a part of our own day to day life.
Story Tips:
- This is a great introduction to talk about random acts of kindness. We’ve started doing this on a weekly basis in our home. Making an extra treat and delivering it to a neighbor, sharing balloons with children walking down the street, etc.
- In the US the story is under the title Immi’s Gift
Immi is an Inuit girl who while fishing one day pulls a small wooden bird from the water. She’s surprised and pleased by the unexpectedly beautiful addition to her day. Additional items seem to find her and bring light into her life as she shares them with those around her. One day she drops her own charm into the fishing hole. Faraway as a boy goes to throw a beautiful object into the ocean, he notices a small white bear wash up on shore. The story ends leaving the reader to wonder about the outcome and the two main characters with whom we are presented but leaves no doubt in our minds as to the power of small random acts of kindness. It’s a powerful message that’s artfully told while respecting the reader’s ability to insinuate the meanings. While young readers will need to discussions to understand the implications of the story, it is written well and simply enough for older children to understand and even discuss the theme and moral.
Littlewood’s beautifully fluid style seems to flow from page to page. It hammers home the stark barrenness of Immi’s icy world and the lush vibrancy of the boy’s topical paradise. It alludes to the beauty and depths of world under the ice and makes the reader smile along as Immi’s world is brightened with each small gift of kindness. Each page seems to have a charm that is only enhanced by a rough sketch like quality that reminds me of a dream and that small acts of kindness can only be reality if we choose to make them a part of our own day to day life.
Story Tips:
- This is a great introduction to talk about random acts of kindness. We’ve started doing this on a weekly basis in our home. Making an extra treat and delivering it to a neighbor, sharing balloons with children walking down the street, etc.
- In the US the story is under the title Immi’s Gift
September 24, 2014
Little Immi is a child of the far north, cold frozen land of Alaska. She is a native Inuit. Her people fish for their sustenance and little Immi is learning young to fish.
One day while out fishing she catches a beautifully carved and painted bird.She is filled with joy at this beautiful gift from the water. On subsequent days she catches other beautiful treasures.
At the end of the story, she decides to "gift" the sea with one of her very own Inuit treasures. Ultimately, the Inuit treasure is caught from the sea by a Pacific Islander.
This beautifully told and illustrated story is charming. There is sweet innocence and true joy. There is also an underlying story of bonding across the distances imposed by water, land, or cultures.
The illustrations alone are what I consider "keeper quality." But combined with the effortlessly and beautifully simple told story, it makes for a perfect book for the child's home bookshelf or libraries at school and city.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Immi's Gift from Peachtree Publishers in exchange for my review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and I received no compensation for this review.
One day while out fishing she catches a beautifully carved and painted bird.She is filled with joy at this beautiful gift from the water. On subsequent days she catches other beautiful treasures.
At the end of the story, she decides to "gift" the sea with one of her very own Inuit treasures. Ultimately, the Inuit treasure is caught from the sea by a Pacific Islander.
This beautifully told and illustrated story is charming. There is sweet innocence and true joy. There is also an underlying story of bonding across the distances imposed by water, land, or cultures.
"....as Immi was about to go,
she stopped and put her hand to her necklace. She took the small bear and gently dropped it into the water."
The illustrations alone are what I consider "keeper quality." But combined with the effortlessly and beautifully simple told story, it makes for a perfect book for the child's home bookshelf or libraries at school and city.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Immi's Gift from Peachtree Publishers in exchange for my review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and I received no compensation for this review.
February 26, 2015
Personal Reaction: This is a really good book to use for diversity purposes. I also like the approach it took to introduce diversity. The book showed a different lifestyle of a young child from a different country. It didn't put the child in an American culture but it put them in their own culture and let the children learn about it. I also liked the illustrations, they did a great job of portraying the difference in culture in a colorful way. The language was pretty simple that is one thing I wish was different about the book.
Purpose:
Read aloud for curricular purposes:
-Diversity unit or just diversity in general: This book introduces a different culture and shows the way we live is not the only way that exists. It also show us acceptance of people who don't look or act like us as well. It's a good variety of information to introduce to the class.
I wish this book had a little more substance the only real reason I can think to use this is for diversity. The vocabulary and sentence structure is very limited and basic. So the students wouldn't really learn a whole lot. That is also why I gave it such a low rating.
Purpose:
Read aloud for curricular purposes:
-Diversity unit or just diversity in general: This book introduces a different culture and shows the way we live is not the only way that exists. It also show us acceptance of people who don't look or act like us as well. It's a good variety of information to introduce to the class.
I wish this book had a little more substance the only real reason I can think to use this is for diversity. The vocabulary and sentence structure is very limited and basic. So the students wouldn't really learn a whole lot. That is also why I gave it such a low rating.
July 14, 2012
Immi is a little girl who lives in a land of snow and ice. A land devoid of color. Until one day, a vibrant gift appears on her fishing pole. As Immi continues to discover gifts in the icy water, her world is filled with color and company. She is given a gift of lovely, colorful items to brighten her world and the gift of friendship both near and far. In the end, Immi sends a gift of her own into the water and the reader meets the boy who has been sending her the colorful treasures from his beach.
This is one of my favorite books because of the idea that friends can be people on the other side of the world that care enough to bring color to our lives. This is also a favorite of mine because of the colorful illustrations. My favorite picture (how many times can I use the word "favorite" in this post) is of Immi and her dog laughing. Every time I look at it, I feel joy. My daughter and I first read this when she was 4. She loved it so much that we made a 6 foot, newsprint mural of one of the pictures for her great grandmother.
This is one of my favorite books because of the idea that friends can be people on the other side of the world that care enough to bring color to our lives. This is also a favorite of mine because of the colorful illustrations. My favorite picture (how many times can I use the word "favorite" in this post) is of Immi and her dog laughing. Every time I look at it, I feel joy. My daughter and I first read this when she was 4. She loved it so much that we made a 6 foot, newsprint mural of one of the pictures for her great grandmother.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews