Sled Dog for Moshi

by Jeanne Bushey, Germaine Arnaktauyok (Illustrator)

The young Inuit child Moshi longs for a pet dog like the one owned by her friend Jessica. Moshi's father explains that the puppies that Nuna, their missing sled dog, is expecting are work dogs not playthings. While out walking, Moshi and Jessica are surprised by a sudden whiteout. Nuna finds the children and leads them to shelter in a small shed, where the dog is keeping her puppies. While the girls huddle with the pups, Nuna runs off, soon returning with rescuers. Praised by her father for thinking "like an Inuk" to survive the snow, Moshi happily chooses a pup -- deciding she would rather have a sled dog than a pet.

Hardcover

First published March 28, 1994

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly appreciate the community of indigenous children’s literature readers on this site. Sometimes it surprises me that an outstanding culturally rich story like this one only has 1 review. Is the book out of print ? Is the publisher obscure ? I found this one in my library at the school I work at and it was so well crafted, written and illustrated that it deserves a wider audience. Please seek it out.

[Sandra Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is rich with culture and shares an intimate experience living in Iqaluit. This is an excellent book for building inclusivity and diversity.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking for a sled dog story to read to kindergarteners. This story shows that sled dogs are not kept as pets to do tricks, but as work dogs. A good story but I will use Mush to introduce sled dogs and the iditarod.