I Can See You

This tender board book explores the five senses, but, perhaps more than that, the overarching theme is a beautiful celebration of families in the Canadian Arctic. The author, Rosemarie Avrana Meyok, captures the playful and also deep, sacred relationship of infants and their caregivers. The stunning illustrations by Michelle Simpson complement the text and also give the reader a glimpse of Arctic life, scenery and culture.

Throughout the book, beadwork, traditional tattoos and parkas are all pictured. The Arctic landscape is captured, featuring the Northern lights, the ocean with icebergs in the distance and typical foliage of the region. The landscape is dotted with raised Northern homes along the water. Arctic animals are playfully included in the form of the infant’s plush toys. These include wolves, narwhal, walrus and snowy owl. The Inuktitut language is included in the text with the term “kunik.” This term is identified at the beginning of the book with proper pronunciation included.

Several caregivers are pictured with their infants throughout the book, and some caregivers are older than others and have various hairstyles and clothing, thereby showing the diversity of family situations. Consistently, every illustration includes the caregiver interacting with the infant or embracing them. Throughout the book, the infants are referred to as “My little sweetheart.” The words are written in coloured text each time, emphasizing the special relationship between the infants and their caregivers. The text paired with the vibrant artwork portrays how precious children are. I Can See You feels warm, inviting and significantly captivating. The attention to detail creates not only a comforting read aloud but also a visit to Canadian Arctic life.