“Stylized scratchboard illustrations in soft beige, brown, gold, blue, and green tones add an emotional charge to this well-researched story of an Eskimo woman, her husband and children who, in 1913, found themselves aboard a Canadian Arctic Expedition ship, The Karluk. Excellent for multicultural studies or a theme dealing with the Arctic or survival.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Martin includes details that will fascinate kids (Inupiaq sunglasses–how cool!). The quiet, intriguing language, with a poet’s attention to sound, will lull young ones into the story’s drama, as will Beth Krommes’ captivating scratchboard illustrations, suggestive of Lois Lenski’s work in their rounded shapes and bold lines. With its picture-book format and well-paced chapters, this is a great choice for primary classroom read-alouds.” — Booklist

“Beth Krommes’s scratchboard art is outstanding. Ice, artifacts, and characters are delineated in handsome black, softened with crosshatching and a limited palette that ranges from sealskin brown to ice blue; sweeps of white space pull readers into windswept vistas or set off cozy iglu interiors. Art, narration, and information are all perfectly integrated in a story that makes a fine introduction to arctic exploration.” — The Horn Book

“Martin’s text for this thrilling adventure is spare and poetic. The illustrations perfectly echo the text and the designs of the far north. This book belongs in any study of the Arctic, of native peoples, of exploration and discovery and of bravery and tradition.” — “Into the Unknown” by Carol Otis Hurst, Teaching PreK-8