"Full disclosure: My husband, Mark, and I were friends with Siu-Ling Han. We became friends with her Mom and Dad as well. Readers of the elder Han's book will learn of my involvement in the process that led to its publication. Of course it should come as no surprise that, with some exceptions, Kim and I are like-minded on the subject of the Canadian Inuit Dog. Having said that, be assured that my role bore no influence upon my opinions expressed in this review.

The second thing readers will notice, after the three-dimensional cover layout of The Canadian Inuit Dog: Icon of Canada’s North, is the feel of the paper it is printed on. It felt soft and silky smooth…and vibrant. The unusual tactile sensation was an attention-getter for sure. Maybe in this case, contradictory to the old saying, a book can be judged by its cover.

Quickly flipping through front to back to get a first quick overview, I discovered yet another unusual feature. Every titled section, from foreword to bibliography was introduced by a different lovely edge-to-edge image… very eye-catching.

Han devotes thirty-two pages in three sections before chapter one. Nunavik dog teamer Allen Gordon’s foreword is a succinct and well-written gateway that raises the curtain on the world of the Canadian Inuit Dog. In her preface, Han explains to readers her motivation for her eight-year journey that brought her work to publication. In doing so she depicts what it is like for her daughter Siu-Ling, herself a talented dog teamer, to raise and use these traditional working animals; for the author to take a wild ride on a qamutiik and even to keeping retired dogs. In the introduction readers get to meet Inuk Elder Elijah Padluq (Han traveled to his home in Kimmirut, Nunavut to interview him) who, along with others in this book, recounts life on the land with their dog-partners.

Ten chapters reveal exhaustive research Han devoted to her book’s creation. She covers the historical timeline (ancient to recent), taxonomy (nomenclature), science (the circulatory system, the physiology of performance, evolutionary genetics and effects of domestication); health, social behavior; use by explorers (from hundreds of years ago to the 20th century) and of course in partnership with Inuit, then and now. She weaves a tapestry of Inuit social history, traditions and cultural practices throughout, many of which were narrated by Inuit Elders. Readers will learn the real meaning and importance of the Nunavut Quest, Qimualaniq Quest and Ivakkak dog team “races”. Han was undaunted about presenting sensitive issues affecting Inuit nomadic life as a result of forced relocations and the killing of their working dogs in the mid-20th century. She also contrasts the aboriginal landrace Canadian Inuit Dog and the cultured breed Canadian Kennel Club registered Canadian Eskimo Dog. While I found so much to love about The Canadian Inuit Dog: Icon of Canada’s North, I do wish Han drew more succinct conclusions codifying the difference between the two dogs, also devoting less space to the latter. And in her description of Belyaev’s landmark fur fox domestication experiment, I would have liked to have seen a very strong parallel between the loss of the animal’s most valued feature, its pelage, as a result of breeding based solely on biddable (e.g., domestic) behavior, comparing this example favorably to the transformation from aboriginal to cultured dog. The significance of Belyaev’s work in this regard cannot be overstated.

Han’s eye for detail clarifies the issues of barking, the term “malamute”, the gait known as pacing, subjects that have caused me to recoil at the flawed commentaries about them made by the unenlightened.

Han’s writing is rich in details presented in comfortable prose. The many Inuktitut terms she’s included are defined, and there’s a special section highlighting several words for different classifications of Inuit Dogs. There is a very generous inclusion of photos, both archival and modern (including ones donated by professional photographers who were eager to support Han’s book) appropriately placed to exemplify text. Most images of Inuit Dogs show them in their natural habitat.

I especially liked the way she wove elements of her interview with Elijah Padluq throughout the book including her final chapter. Although brief, chapter ten is a lovely wrap-up.

Han opened her Preface with, “Why would a librarian from Ottawa, Ontario who has never lived in the Arctic or managed a dog team write a book about the Canadian Inuit dog?” The profound love and admiration of her daughter, who only lived long enough to hold the publishing contract to her heart, was the Elder Han’s driving force. And it’s quite likely that in spirit, Siu-Ling remained nearby her mother’s computer as the online research progressed, remaining along side her as the book's text came forth.

Readers may also wonder just how a “librarian from Ottawa, Ontario who has never lived in the Arctic or managed a dog team” could successfully write such a book. Han’s skills as a librarian, her living near physical access to several fabulous Ottawa museum resources for on-site research and image acquisition, her firsthand knowledge, thanks to her daughter, into the world of the aboriginal landrace Canadian Inuit Dog, and her many Canadian Arctic friends – skilled and renowned dog teamers all – provided her support, resources and tales that have helped make The Canadian Inuit Dog: Icon of Canada’s North a fresh perspective, a must-have book to be enjoyed by Inuit Sled Dog and all northern working dog enthusiasts.

To further honor her daughter’s memory by writing The Canadian Inuit Dog: Icon of Canada’s North, Kim Han says she will “donate my royalties to Qimmivut, a program of the Ilisaqsivik Society in Clyde River, Nunavut. It is a non-profit Inuit organization that provides Inuit youth with an opportunity to be out on the land with recognized hunters, dog team owners and Elders. Working with dogs is at the heart of Inuit culture. It passes on traditional land skills, values and knowledge, and Inuit relationships with dogs, as well as all aspects of living a good, healthy lifestyle to promote and support youth mental health, in honor of Siu-Ling's wish to help where help is needed and to make this world a little better.”