Uilu Pedersen and Susanne Jensen

The story is about giving children the courage to embark on an unknown journey and to have the bravery to overcome themselves. The book is therefore both a Greenlandic and universal tale about fostering self-confidence in children who are uncertain of their own abilities and paths. 

Greenland’s nature and culture provide the backdrop for this universal adventure, even though the vivid and uplifting narrative draws clear parallels with Greenlandic myths and legends, where the country’s magnificent landscape and wildlife play a decisive role.  

The beautiful and atmospheric illustrations by Susanne Jensen add a very special depth to the story. The book is reminiscent of other universal works, such as The Little Prince, and is suitable both for reading aloud and for independent reading.  

Pilu paddles a kayak with his father in his free time, and one day they head out together so that Pilu can learn to do a full roll in the kayak – a technique that is important to master as a kayaker, but one that Pilu is afraid of. His father becomes occupied with a phone call, and suddenly Pilu finds himself far from shore – he has clearly drifted away with the current. He plunges his paddle into the water and is pulled down into the depths. When he regains his senses, he turns his head and finds himself beneath the surface of the sea, in a parallel world where the Current holds power. 

There, he meets the sea angel “Aataaliannguaq”, who becomes his loyal companion through challenges at sea and in the mountains, where ravens, shadows, beacons, and the fox with the half tail help them on their way towards the great mountain. There, Pilu finally has the chance to break the surface of the sea once more and return home. 

Uilu Pedersen (born in 1986) grew up in Aasiaat in northern Greenland. She holds a degree in psychology and has lived in Nuuk since 2014, where she works as a psychologist. Pilu (not translated into English) is her debut as an author. 

Susanne Jensen (born in 1958) grew up in Nuuk. She is a trained educator and art therapist, and lives in Nuuk, where she teaches visual arts to children.