The Little Hunter Tagikak

The book The Little Hunter Tagikak brings together three Eskimo folk tales retold by G. Snegiryov and V. Glotser: The Little Sorceress, The Wooden Dish, and The Little Hunter Tagikak.

The title story tells of two generations of sea hunters — a father and a son, both named Tagikak. The father dies in a storm while hunting a whale, leaving his unborn son behind. Years later, the boy grows up poor but determined. One day he falls into the sea and finds himself in the underwater dwelling of his father and the lost hunters. The father gives him three pieces of meat — from a whale, a walrus, and a seal — and teaches him a bit of magic to help him survive. Yet he reminds his son that true strength comes from courage and hard work.

When the boy returns to his world, he must earn respect among other hunters. Only an old man takes him out to sea. With his father’s spear and his own resolve, Tagikak faces the whale again — this time as a real hunter.

Azemsha’s illustrations mirror the northern landscape: strict, cold, and beautiful in its simplicity. His drawings feel carved out of ice and wind, filled with quiet dignity. The book itself looks like a small Arctic house — through its pages you glimpse scenes of whales, owls, seals, and wolves. Both story and image are clear and sincere, built on respect for tradition, nature, and endurance.