A Good Hide

by Karina Iceberg, Natasha Donovan (Illustrator)

From these hands, old to new, a tradition of love passes through.

In Alaska, Fall is moose season. When the hunt is over, the community comes together to transform the raw moose hide into something truly special, step by step, with the work of many hands.

From stretching and scraping to making brain stew, each part of the process is a celebration! With humor and heart, debut author Karina Iceberg (Aleut/Alutiiq) and award-winning illustrator Natasha Donovan (Métis) share a resonant message of gratitude, community, and shared knowledge as an intertribal Native Alaskan community works together to tan a moose hide.

Features author's note and a note from Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Genres: Picture Books, Indigenous, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A native Alaskan community shows readers how they tan and cure a moose hide using traditional methods. No matter which step of the process they’re on—blessing, scraping, stretching, peeing, spreading brain goo, or drying—it’s done with joy and gratitude.

Autumn-toned, rounded illustrations and 1-3 short sentences of text per double-page spread make this story widely accessible. Iceberg clearly put a lot of thought into how to pare down a complex process! Meanwhile, Donovan balances giving curious readers enough details to satisfy without making scenes too busy. I particularly enjoyed her use of varied scene perspectives.

My only critique of A Good Hide is that it starts in media res, which may confuse younger readers. A few short sentences of explanation on the first page of the book (taken partially from the book flap description) would have solved this problem. Instead of “First we give thanks—Auntie leads a blessing,” it could read something along the lines of, “In Alaska, fall is moose season. Once we have a moose hide, we stretch it wide. Then we give thanks—Auntie leads a blessing.”

Back matter—an author’s note and a curator’s note—provides the story with additional context and details.

Recommended for purchase for ages 3-8. Would work well for PreK and family storytimes or classroom use.


Thanks to HarperCollins for the copy via the Southern Ohio Young Adult Media Group.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

In simple steps with warm illustrations that depict family and community as well as respect for the animal, a community prepares a moose hide to be used by humans. It is often in Native American stories that all hunters respect the animals they hunt. They pray for the spirit of the animal that in death offers gifts to the humans. The process of tanning a hide is not the same for all Native Nations, but the community in this book shares some methods for cleaning, drying, and tanning the hide, so that it can be used for clothes and bedding or shelter. My students would certainly have reactions to the brain and urine uses in this book. I no longer work in a community with many Native American students, but this is a great book if you have that community or study Native Americans and traditions of Native Communities. (Public libraries have larger budgets than those of us in school libraries. This belongs in public library collections who serve much larger parts of our populations.)

[Dylan Teut · Rating 5 out of 5]

A process I was entirely unfamiliar with, and its various and sacred trends (specific and time-consuming) which happen in order to ensure a moose hide is preserved and usable. I am fascinated and I am sure that Alaska native youth are engaged in the process so it will be carried on for many more years into the future.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is loosely informative and family focused. A culturally specific picture book about a native Alaskan family preparing and tanning a moose hide. Back matter is interesting and explains more about historical and contemporary practices for native Alaskans.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good children's book on tanning a hide, written by an Alaskan Native American and a member of the Aleut and Alutiiq Nations of Alaska. You will learn some of the natural products used to make the hides soft and supple.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes a lot more work than you might think to make a good hide-- in this book, an Alaska Native family treat a moose hide step by step! I learned a lot from this, even as an adult.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about making hide in the Native way. A wonderful look into a tradition that many kids might not have seen or heard about.

[SamSamSam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful sparse text, detailed but clear illustrations, and very interesting! I could see this going over super well as a prek or classroom read.

[Adria Goetz]

Such a fascinating process!

[Shoshanna]

This feels like it was written and illustrated by AI. Something feels off.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another powerful example of how picture books can teach readers so much. I knew nothing about this process, so I'm glad that I picked it up.