QALLUPILLUIT: The Takers of Children – ᖃᓪᓗᐱᓪᓗᐃᑦ: ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᑎᒡᓕᒐᖅᑏᑦ

ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ, ᓱᕈᑦᑎᑦ ᐃᓂᖅᑎᖅᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓯᑰᑉ ᐊᑖᓂ ᑲᒪᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ
ᐱᑕᖃᕐᓂᖓᓂ—ᖃᓪᓗᐱᓪᓗᐃᑦ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓱᕈᓯᖅ ᑐᓵᖖᒋᑉᐸᑦ ᐃᓂᖅᑎᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ…

ᑕᐃᕕᑎ ᓯᔾᔭᒃᑰᖅᐳᖅ ᓯᑯᓕᐊᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ. ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᓯᑲᐅᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓄᑑᖖᒋᓐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ. ᐊᒡᒐᒃ ᐃᓄᒐᖖᒍᐊᖏᑕ ᐊᑯᓐᓂᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᐅᕕᓂᓕᒃ ᐃᒫᓂᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑉᐳᖅ, ᑕᐃᕕᑎᓗ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᓴᐱᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᐃᓄᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑕᐃᕕᑎ ᓯᓚᑐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑐᓂ ᓱᒃᑲᓂᕐᒥᓂᒡᓗ ᕿᒪᕉᑎᕗᖅ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᓚᒥᓄᑦ ᐅᑎᕋᒥ, ᖃᐅᔨᕗᖅ ᓄᑲᕋᓛᖓ ᐱᑕᕈᓐᓃᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ—ᓯᑯᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᓴᕐᓂᕐᒪᑦ. ᑕᐃᕕᑎ ᑐᐊᕕᖅᐳᖅ ᓯᑯᒧᑦ ᓄᑲᓂ ᕿᓂᕆᐊᖅᑐᓂᐅᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᓇᓂᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᐸᐅᒃ ᕿᒪᒃᑲᓂᕐᓗᓂᒋᓪᓗ ᖃᓪᓗᐱᓪᓗᐃᑦ?

ᑐᖖᒐᕕᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓅᖖᒋᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᖏᓐᓃᖖᒑᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᖃᓪᓗᐱᓪᓗᐃᑦ: ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓂ ᑎᒡᓕᒐᖅᑏᑦ ᐃᓂᖅᑎᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᖁᐃᓕᖅᑕᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅ.

In the Arctic, children are warned about the dangers of mysterious beings that lurk under the ice—the qallupilluit. But one child does not heed the warnings. . . .

David heads to the beach to play on the ice. But he quickly realizes he’s not alone. A webbed hand emerges from the water, and soon David finds himself cornered by sea monsters. David uses his wits and agility to escape them. But when he makes it back to his family, he learns that his little brother is missing—and had followed him to the ice. David races back to the ice to look for his brother, but will he be able to find him and escape the menacing qallupilluit a second time?

Based on creatures from traditional Inuit stories, Qallupilluit: The Takers of Children is a chilling cautionary tale.

Written by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher | Illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith

Paperback (Bilingual English and Inuktitut) | ISBN: 978-1-77227-360-1 | $19.95 | 10” x 8″ | Full-colour illustrations throughout | 52 pages | Ages 12+

Praise

“The authors, co-founders of the Inuit-owned publisher, draw from traditional Inuit stories about the child-snatching qallupilluit, seamlessly melding contemporary and timeless elements. . . . The visual interpretation of the qallupilluit is distinct, memorable, and deliciously ghoulish. A striking story that steals the spotlight.”—★ Kirkus, STARRED review

“A valuable tool for language learning and revitalization. At its core, the story emphasizes familial love—the bond between the brothers, the strength of their family and community, as well as the importance of listening to the stories of Elders. Qallupilluit: The Takers of Children is compelling horror fiction for youth, offering both thrills as well as important cultural lessons.”—Quill & Quire

Nominated for Awards

Finalist—2025 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award