The Lamp, the Ice and the Boat Called Fish: Diamonds from the Tundra

Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Beth Krommes (ill)
Houghton Mifflin
Jan 2001
Ages: 4-6 48pp
Hardcover ISBN:
061800341X





Jacqueline Briggs Martin has written one of those gems that linger with the reader for a very long time after the book is closed. “The Lamp the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish” recounts the story of the ill fated Karluk and the Steffanson expedition of 1913. The factual tale of the Karluk’s passengers (which included a captain and crew, scientists and explorers, a cat, forty sled dogs, Iupiaq hunters, and an Iupiaq family) unfolds with a healthy fictional layer, following the experiences of two young Iupiaq children, Makpii and Pagnasuk. The author explores the world of these young girls, and provides the reader with a great deal of information regarding the Iupiaq culture.

When the Karluk becomes locked in ice and carried out to see, the passengers must live on borrowed time, knowing that the ice will inevitably break the ship apart and sink it. Makpii and Pagnasuk play with a caribou hide ball, by the light of a traditional lamp, while their mother sews clothing and supplies, and their father hunts for food in a place where it is scarce. The deaths and, in some cases, disappearances of a few of the crew members, will haunt you, while the kindness shown to the girls’ mother will touch you. What drew me to this story is the same thing that compelled the author to write it. It is remarkable that when the castaways were finally rescued, they still had the cat with them and a majority of the sled dogs. Although they faced near starvation, the cat had still been cared for, along with the dogs, which were competing for the same scarce food supplies. This is especially notable, as other expeditions had been known to eat their dogs, when hungry. And then there is Captain Robert Bartlett. He walked and travelled by dog sled, over seven hundred miles, in search of help.

I couldn’t put this book down. Jacqueline Briggs Martin’s easy flowing prose, and the exquisite scratchboard illustrations of Beth Krommes, kept me turning page after page. Unfortunately, I was unable to share this book with my children. Even my 4 1/2-year-old just couldn’t get past the first few pages. The length may also be a problem for youngsters. This is a great book to share with your older children, though. I am sure, beginning readers would love a break from their phonics to enjoy a good ole fashioned story time. “The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish” would be a wonderful companion to any school unit regarding the Inuit, or arctic exploration. For those of us grown-ups who love to read children’s books, this is a must read.