The Itchy Little Musk Ox

by Tricia Brown, Debra Dubac (Illustrator)

Overview

The patience of a little musk ox is sorely tried when he suffers an itch that he can’t scratch. There’s not a tree in sight—nothing to rub against for relief—so he wanders away from the herd looking for a branch, a rock pile, anything. On his journey, he meets with three individuals: a buffalo, a wolf, and a Native woman. Through his interaction with each one, he learns something new and affirming about himself before returning to the herd. Endnotes include information about how musk ox were native to Alaska until they were decimated by hunters in 1865, then reintroduced in the early 1930s; biological/behavioral details about the animals; and info about the cottage industry among Native villages in which women knit the qiviut (KIV-ee-oot), the rare underwool, into beautiful, warm garments.  "Learn more" two-page section provides facts and information about the animal and about qiviut, the softest wool in the world which comes from musk ox.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780882406145
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	10/01/2006
Edition description:	out of stock for now, HB available at $9.95 978-0-88240-613-8
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,097,796
Product dimensions:	8.22(w) x 9.86(h) x 0.11(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Brown is a writer, editor, freelancer, program and book developer, journalist, quilter, mother, grandmother and wife. Her work has been nationally honored for compassionate, insightful depictations of Alaska natives and for children's literature. She began her award-winning literary career in journalism, and in 1984 was the founding editor of 'Heartland", the Sunday magazine of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Later she wrote for the Anchorgae Daily News, then shifted into editing the popular monthly magazine Alaska, with a readership of more than a quarter million. She holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism and a Master of Fine Arts degree.

Read an Excerpt

"Once there was a little musk ox with an itch he couldn't scratch. It had been a long winter, and he felt like he'd been in the same clothes for nine months. His sloping horms were too short and too low on his head to reach his itchy back. 'Good-for-nothing horns!' he grumbled. The itch had put him in a very bad mood."    From Page 1, THE ITCHY LITTLE MUSK OX

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The Itchy Little Musk Ox is a softcover children's picture book about an unhappy young musk ox. He has an itch he can't scratch from his own soft wool, and his downward-pointing horns won't reach it. When he finds the right tree to scratch his itch, he becomes separated from the herd! On his long journey to rejoin them he discovers all the good things about being a musk ox—his horns and hard head are good for head butting a hungry wolf, and his soft wool is prized by a gentle human. A two-page summary of fascinating facts about musk oxen closes this delightful adventure, illustrated in full color, recommended for readers age 3 and up.”

                                                                                                                                —Midwest Book Review

“This is a tale about self discovery and personal acceptance in the form of an itchy little musk ox. As the story unfolds, youngsters learn the importance of patience and embracing the qualities that make them unique.”

                                                                                                                                —Edmonton’s Child

“The burly, awkward musk ox, not normally a candidate for cuteness, is transformed into a character with which kids can identify in The Itchy Little Musk Ox. Brown and Dubac create a memorable character and an enjoyable story with a lesson about the value of appreciating one’s own abilities . . . a charming tale, brought to life in Alaska’s bold colors.”

                                                                                                                                —First Alaskans

Editorial Reviews

A children’s picturebook about an unhappy young musk ox. He has an itch he can’t scratch from his own soft wool, and his downward-pointing horns won’t reach it. When he finds the right tree to scratch his itch, he becomes separated from the herd! On his long journey to rejoin them he discovers all the good things about being a musk ox – his horns and hard head are good for headbutting a hungry wolf, and his soft wool is prized by a gentle human. A two-page summary of fascinating facts about musk oxen closes this delightful adventure, illustrated in full color, recommended for readers age 3 and up.

Midwest Book Review

This is a tale about self discovery and personal acceptance in the form of an itchy little musk ox. As the story unfolds, youngsters learn the importance of patience and embracing the qualities that make them unique.”

                                                                                                                                —Edmonton’s Child

“The Itchy Little Musk Ox is a softcover children's picture book about an unhappy young musk ox. He has an itch he can't scratch from his own soft wool, and his downward-pointing horns won't reach it. When he finds the right tree to scratch his itch, he becomes separated from the herd! On his long journey to rejoin them he discovers all the good things about being a musk ox—his horns and hard head are good for head butting a hungry wolf, and his soft wool is prized by a gentle human. A two-page summary of fascinating facts about musk oxen closes this delightful adventure, illustrated in full color, recommended for readers age 3 and up.”

                                                                                                                                —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher