The Littlest Sled Dog is the recent book by Inuit storyteller Michael Kusugak about the imaginative dreams of a little terrier dog who lives with her mother in a kennel. The little dog is told stories about dogs around the world and is enchanted by the tales of a St. Bernard rescuing a lost skier, a golden retriever fetching a duck killed by a hunter, or the sled dogs of the Far North pulling sleds while their masters holler, mush. The little dog dreams of one day being an important dog that has wonderful adventures. While at the kennel, the staff begins to call the little dog, You Too. That is because the tiny animal has to a called out of the kennel so many times. One day something wonderful happens to this little dog and her dreams begin to come true. An Inuk man buys the little dog as a pet for his family and takes You Too home to Rankin Inlet. There the little dog receives an Inuk name, Igvillu, which means You Too. But life brings unexpected challenges when winter sets in and the little pet goes outdoors and is frightened by the large sled dogs with their growls and scruffy-looking fur. Instead Igvillu finds her little red booties appropriate for going outdoors and loves to curl up and watch her favourite movie with the family. The movie just happens to feature a little terrier dog following a yellow brick road. Igvillu no longer dreams of a life as a brave and adventurous dog because she now wants to be a movie star. The wonderful colour illustrations by Vladyana Krykorka capture the joy of this story that follows the life a little pet dog from Red Deer and introduces readers to life in the modern Arctic. This book is selected as a recommended title in the 2009 First Nations Libraries Community Reads program.
