Linda Trast Lillevik and Gustav Kvaal - Selected Title Authors

What is your book about?

This book takes you back 500 years to one of the islands in Lofoten, in Sápm, where you meet a Sámi boy named Juoksa and his little sister, Illu. One day, Juoksa discovers a bear den and immediately starts dreaming about the dangerous bear hunt and the feast that will follow. But there are still several full moons of waiting ahead. The story offers insight into how the Sámi drum draws its power from the bear through rituals tied to hunting this animal, which the Sámi consider sacred.
The reader also learns about the connection between the alder tree and the Sámi hunting god known as the Alder Tree Man.
Juoksa has never been on a bear hunt before, and everything is terribly exciting. He is still far too young to strike the great beast with a spear himself—but luckily, his father is there to help. His mother, however, is the best archer of them all; no one can hunt an ermine like her.

What sets your book apart from other books within the same genre?

The events in this book take place in Lofoten, an area whose Sámi history has never before been depicted for this age group. Sámi ritual bear hunting has also never been explored in previous children’s books.
Through the five QR codes in our book, strategically placed throughout the narrative, readers can access traditional Sámi joiks performed by renowned joiker Ánde Somby. Each joik has a different character: the bear’s joik is deep and resonant, while the cod’s joik is light and fluid. The alder tree and the Alder Tree Man also have their own joiks.
A fun fact: Juoksa names the bear “Eanat”, a word that evokes something earthy—and a common Sámi term for a male bear. The Sámi avoided calling the bear by its true name, believing that this sacred animal could understand human speech, which would be dangerous when planning a hunt.

The book was published in collaboration with Bodø2024 – European Capital of Culture.

What inspired you to illustrate this book?

Having been born and raised in Northern Norway, Sámi culture has always been a natural and central part of my surroundings. The traditional reindeer-herding Sámi culture has been the most prominent, but for me, it was both important and exciting to be able to highlight coastal Sámi culture through Juoksa’s story.
With Lofoten’s majestic landscape as a backdrop, I wanted to create a dramatic and atmospheric setting for the story. To capture this feeling, I chose a visual style that blends graphic elements with watercolor—an approach that not only enhances the tone of the story but also adds depth, texture, and life to the illustrations.

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See full presentation of the book here
The book is also available in Northern Sámi as Oađát go, Eanat?, translated by Else R. Turi.

See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for the spring 2025 here