Theme Bundle: Indigenous Resources for Kindergarten
Details:
This bundle includes Indigenous resources for kindergarten students.
This bundle includes:
- Diverse Indigenous voices and stories from across Canada and North America
- A mix of fiction and nonfiction books
- A mix of genres and themes to appeal to a variety of reader interests and abilities
- Read alouds for the classroom and books to read individually
- Leveled books for kindergarten students from the Indigenous leveled reading series the Strong Readers and Nunavummi Reading Series.
Title availability may fluctuate. Scroll below to learn more about individual resources included and their availability. Click on individual book titles to learn more about them.
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Fiction
Synopsis:
Rooted in Indigenous teachings, this stunning picture book encourages readers of all ages to consider the ways in which they live in connection to the world around them and to think deeply about their behaviors.
Addressing environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community, the authors deliver a poignant and universal message in an accessible way: Be a good ancestor to the world around you. Thought-provoking stanzas offer a call to action for each one of us to consider how we affect future generations. Every decision we make ripples out, and we can affect the world around us by thinking deeply about those decisions.
Awards
- 2023 Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award
- 2023 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards - Children's Picture Book
Reviews
"Be A Good Ancestor is a story rooted in Indigenous teachings that ask readers to examine how they connect to the world around them and think deeply about their actions' consequences. The story looks at environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community making the delivery of a universal message accessible." - The Dalai Lama Center
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
This book is available in French: Laisse un bel héritage.
Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
A thunderstorm evokes a boy's family traditions, in this rainy-day story from award-winning author Melanie Florence.
Benjamin loves the rain. He loves splashing through puddles in his bright yellow rain boots and watching the colors of a rainbow in the water as they ripple around his feet. But most of all, Benjamin loves thunder. To him, thunder --- piyêsiwak --- sounds like his grandfather's drum. It calls to him, like the songs his grandfather plays while his father and other powwow dancers spin and step in time to the drumbeat. As Benjamin hears the thunder rumble overhead, he imagines himself as a powwow dancer. He spins, he taps his feet and he lifts his knees. Faster and faster he twirls, delighted by and filled with the rhythm of piyêsiwak.
This artfully written story from award-winning author Melanie Florence celebrates both the universal joys of playing in the rain and the connections to family traditions that center and ground us. Elements of Cree powwow culture and Cree words for colors and weather are interwoven into the story, with a pronunciation guide in the back matter.
The vibrant and eye-catching art by Hawlii Pichette, inspired by the scenery of northern Ontario, adds drama to the pages. This inviting picture book makes a perfect read-aloud for a rainy day, as well as an excellent introduction to Cree cultural traditions, local communities and experiencing nature firsthand.
Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.
This book is available in French: Benjamin, au rythme du tonnerre
This book is part of the Benjamin Outdoors series. From dancing in the rain with thunder for a drum to planting a vegetable garden with his mom, Benjamin loves being in nature. With evocative text and vibrant art, this delightful picture book series celebrates the joys of spending time outdoors and weaves in nature-related Cree words.
Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
Let Dragonfly lead you on a journey of inspiration!
Following your winged guide, visit the places and things that can help you find strength in the present and imagine your amazing future. Dream alongside everything from a giant construction site and a sewing machine to the river and a blanket of moss. After your travels, Dragonfly asks: What do you like to dream about? With its mixed setting in rural and urban environments and exploration of both the natural and modern world, Dreaming Alongside gives readers permission to daydream and think of what magic their lives have the potential to hold.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
This book is available in English and Plains Cree: Dreaming Alongside / ê-pawâtamahk.
Reading Levels:
Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient: L
Lexile measure: 900L
Guided Reading Level: L
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
When Elisapee’s father brings home a baby seagull, Elisapee falls in love with the bird right away. She feeds and cares for her new friend, named Nau, and even helps Nau learn how to fly! Nau grows, and grows, and grows some more, until she’s big enough to fly all over town and play with the other seagulls. Soon, it seems like Nau is ready to leave home for good, and Elisapee has to learn how to say goodbye. Based on the author’s childhood experience, this charming story about learning to care for animals will delight young readers.
Reviews
"Stories like Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull, which feature Inuit characters and communities in contemporary settings, allow young Inuit readers to see their own peers and neighborhoods represented in children’s books. They also allow young Canadians from other provinces to experience a vibrant part of our country that they might otherwise never be introduced to." - The Book Wars
Additional Information
40 pages | 8.75" x 8.75"
Synopsis:
A lullaby of reconciliation and reclamation, celebrating the ancestral relationship between Indigenous children and the land that is forever their home.
Under glowing morning sun and silvery winter moon, from speckled frogs croaking in spring to summer fields painted with fireweed, this meditative lullaby introduces little ones to the plants and animals of the Prairies and the Plains. Featuring stunning artwork by celebrated artist Carla Joseph, Forever Our Home is a beautiful and gentle song about our spiritual connection to the land.
Reviews
A tender hymn to the prairie in all seasons...Uplifting and joyous." — Kirkus Reviews
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
This book is available in a the dual-language format (English and Plains Cree): Forever Our Home / kâkikê kîkinaw
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
Pauloosie loves his pet rock, Miki Rock. Pauloosie’s Anaana, his mother, tells him a bedtime story about what Miki Rock sees, hears, and feels in his Arctic home. As part of the land, Miki Rock sees char and beluga, listens to chirps and howls, and feels the snow and sun.
Through lyrical text and ethereal landscape illustrations by Pelin Turgut, readers are taken on an Arctic journey from the point of view of a most unlikely object—a child’s pet rock.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
Recommended in the Indigenous Books for Schools catalogue as a valuable resource for English Language Arts and Science for K to 2.
Themes: Animals, Land, Respect, Arctic, Connection to Nature
Additional Information
28 pages | 9.00" x 9.50" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
A boy patiently listens to his mother's reasons for not making bannock-all the result of a beaver's need to make a dam.
Includes a bannock recipe!
Reviews
"I Can't Have Bannock But the Beaver Has a Dam is written in prose. It begins with a little boy asking his mother if he can have some bannock. She says no and tells him why. As for all little boys, mother's answer only offers material for another question. So the book's story is built on this question-answer exchange between the two. Each time the mother answers, she gives all of the information in the previous answer plus a new piece of information, so we see the picture expanding for the boy. The book would be a good teaching tool for the elementary teacher, especially for those in native and northern communities where bannock and power failures are a part of everyday life. It is recommended for all elementary school libraries." - Sharon A. McLennan McCue, CM Magazine
Educator Information
Recommended Grades: K-3
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 11.00" | New Edition
Synopsis:
Poignant words from award-winning Indigenous author Monique Gray Smith about all the hopes adults have for the young people in their lives.
The hopes we have for the children in our lives are endless. We want our young people to thrive and experience all that life has to offer, but we also feel protective of them. Using simple but powerful statements, Monique Gray Smith delivers a touching message about loving, nurturing and wishing the best for our children. Paired with Gabrielle Grimard's warm and enchanting illustrations, the message in I Hope will resonate with all parents, grandparents and caregivers.
Reviews
"I Hope is a story about adults' hopes for the children in their lives. It speaks to the “hope” of the next generation thriving and experiencing all that life has to offer, even when there is a hesitation to be protective of them. The story focuses on loving, nurturing, and wishing the best for the children in our lives." - The Dalai Lama Center
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
This book is available in English and Plains Cree: I Hope / nipakoseyimon
This book is available in French: J'espère
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
"Gorgeous, shimmering, heartfelt." — Kirkus Reviews - STARRED REVIEW
"[Tasha] Spillet-Sumner's tender free-verse tribute to the joy of welcoming a new baby should resonate with any caregiver who has excitedly awaited a child's arrival... [Michaela] Goade's ethereal watercolor and mixed-media illustrations soar across the page, overflowing with gorgeous touches... I Sang You Down from the Stars will make a beautiful gift for an expecting family as well as a read-aloud to assure children they are loved." — Shelf Awareness
Recommended for ages 2 to 5.
32 pages | 9.00" x 10.25"

Synopsis:
Isla’s New Drum is Shane Hartman’s debut children’s book. The story is a contemporary story that Shane wrote for his daughter after he had made her a drum and gifted it to her. Isla loved her new drum!
Isla has been given a new drum that she loves dearly but she doesn’t have a song to sing to her new drumbeat,
Boom ba ba boom
Boom ba ba boom
Boom ba ba boom boom
So, Isla decides to ask some forest friends to help her make a new song. Each friend offers Isla what they can, showing true generosity. Each friend also offers a message that is important to keeping Mother Earth healthy and strong. In return, Isla plays her drum for each friend as she gives back what she can. Isla discovers so much more than her new song!
Educator Information
The Dakelh (Carrier) words included in this book were referenced from The Central Carrier Bilingual Dictionary. The Carrier Language belongs to the Athapaskan language family and has three major dialects: Northern - Babine Lake, Central - Stuart lake, Southern - locations as far south as Anahim Lake.
Keywords / Themes: Drum; Indigenous Canadian, Environmental Awareness, Friendship, Music; Nak'azdli Whut'en.
Recommended for Preschool - Grade 1
Additional Information
32 pages | Colour illustrations | 8.5" x 11" | ISBN: 9781771745574 | Paperback
Synopsis:
Giizis—the sun—rises. What’s hiding in the trees?
It’s a Mitig! guides young readers through the forest while introducing them to Ojibwe words for nature. From sunup to sundown, encounter an amik playing with sticks and swimming in the river, a prickly gaag hiding in the bushes and a big, bark-covered mitig.
Featuring vibrant and playful artwork, an illustrated Ojibwe-to-English glossary and a simple introduction to the double-vowel pronunciation system, plus accompanying online recordings, It’s a Mitig! is one of the first books of its kind. It was created for young children and their families with the heartfelt desire to spark a lifelong interest in learning language.
Awards
- 2021 First Nation Communities Read 2021 Winner
Reviews
"This is more than a treasure, It's a Migig is a song and a dance for the world in how fun it is to learn Anishinaabe from mentor and visionary Bridget George. I am completely charmed hoping this is the first in a series we can all enjoy together. Written with such love and tenderness, this is a gift for the world. Bravo and mahsi cho, Bridget George." — Richard Van Camp, author of Welcome Song for Baby and Little You
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
Additional Information
32 pages | 10.70" x 9.55"
Synopsis:
On a hot summer day, a young Anishinabe boy visits the shores of Gitchee Gumee with his mother. Nanaboozhoo, their teacher, is before them, presenting himself as a mass of land that stretches across the horizon. As they visit, Keeshig tells his mother about what he calls "the Ojibwe pterodactyls" that live with Nanaboozhoo. He talks about their hunting and what they like to eat. At the end of the story, Keeshig surprises his mom by sharing that the Ojibwe pterodactyls are indeed the thunderbirds and that they are the heartbeat of Nanaboozhoo. Keeshig's mom is so happy and grateful to hear his story and gives him a big hug, letting him know that he is her heart.
Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 3 - 7
Keeshig's story, transcribed by his mother, is accompanied by stunningly beautiful colour illustrations by his father, Robert Spade, and his brother, Kiniw Spade. This remarkably beautiful children's picture book is a true family effort! Could be used to encourage children to write, illustrate, and share/tell their own stories!
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for grades K-1 in the area of English Language Arts.
Additional Information
22 pages
Synopsis:
This book is about a curious kitty who gets to experience her first time sweetgrass picking with her mom.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 6.
Additional Information
28 pages | 9.25" x 7.28" | Paperback
Synopsis:
In this bilingual book, an Anishinaabe child explores the story of a precious mnoomin seed and the circle of life mnoomin sustains.
Written in Anishinaabemowin and English, the story opens at harvest time. A child holds a mnoomin seed and imagines all the life that made a single seed possible-Mayfly, Pike, Muskrat, Eagle and Moose, all had a part to play in bringing the seed into being. What will happen if the seed sprouts? Underwater leaves will shelter young fish, shoots will protect ducklings, stalks will feed larvae, in turn providing food for bats...until finally mnoomin will be ready to harvest again.
We follow the child and family through a harvest day as they make offerings of tobacco, then gently knock ripe seeds into their canoe. On shore, they prepare the seeds, cook up a feast, and gratefully plant some seeds they'd set aside.
This beautifully written and illustrated story reveals the cultural and ecological importance of mnoomin. As the author's note explains, many Anishinaabeg agree that "wild rice" is an inaccurate term for this plant relation, since part of the harvest is sown every year to help sustain human and non-human beings. Includes a translator's note.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.
Thi book is written in Anishinaabemowin and English.
Key Text Features:
- explanation
- illustrations
- informational note
- translations
- translator's note
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
Translated by Mary Ann Corbiere, who grew up in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island speaking Nishnaabemwin. She taught her language at the University of Sudbury for many years, obtained a doctorate and continues to work on instructional resources for adult learners. She now lives in Lively, Ontario.
This book is available in Anishinaabemowin and French: Précieux mnoomin
Additional Information
36 pages | 8.75" x 8.50" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy.
International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills With Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.
Reviews
"My Heart Fills With Happiness is a story that focuses on supporting the wellness of Indigenous children and families, encouraging them to reflect on what makes them happy. The story looks at happy memories that readers can connect to and serves as a reminder to reflect and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy." —The Dalai Lama Center
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
This is the dual-language English and Anishinaabemowin hardcover edition.
This book is also available in an English-only board book format: My Heart Fills With Happiness
This book is also available in English and Plains Cree: My Heart Fills With Happiness / Ni Sâkaskineh Mîyawâten Niteh Ohcih
This book is available in French: J'ai le coeur rempli de bonheur
Additional Information
26 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
Nimoshom loved to drive the school bus. Every day, on the way to and from school, he had something to say. Sometimes, he told the kids silly stories. Sometimes, he taught the kids a new word in Cree.
Nimoshom and His Bus introduces basic Cree words. A glossary is included in the back of the book.
Reviews
"Through accessible language and engaging visual resources, readers are introduced to basic Cree as Nimoshom responds in this language to the children who ride his bus.... The illustrator’s varying the visuals between full double spreads and single page illustrations keeps the pacing lively. Amidst a rural fall setting, with woodland animals, children, and the school bus, Nimoshom’s humorous nature shines through these gentle illustrations. At the end of this story, you just want to give Nimoshom a great big hug!"
— Anita Miettunen, CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"In this bilingual book, readers follow a bus driver picking up kids and dropping them off before and after school. Like the students on the bus, readers quickly learn that the driver's native language is Cree, and he often speaks to them in his native language. Readers learn that "Nimoshom" means "my grandfather" and that "Ekosani" means thank you" as the author (of Cree descent herself) weaves Cree words into the text, and each new spread almost feels like a gentle wave: yes, we're subtly learning new words, but it never feels strenuous or forced, rather it's calm and poetic."
— Let's Talk Picture Books
"While Penny M. Thomas' story is not a plot-driven allegory or a message-based lesson, Nimoshom and His Bus is a sweet introduction to some simple Cree words in the context of a common-place activity for many children.... Karen Hibbard who uses watercolours and pastels to create a gentle background for Nimoshom's day on his bus gives the story a grassroots mood, highly appropriate for a routine day of activity and interaction for this bus driver and his charges. It's very relatable."
— Helen Kubiw, CanLit for Little Canadians
"If you're a regular reader of AICL, you know that we're always delighted by books by Native writers--especially ones set in the present. Books like Nimoshom and His Bus provide Native children with mirrors that non-Native children find in abundance.... I highly recommend Nimoshom and His Bus! It'd be a simple thing to use other Native words in addition to--or instead of--the Cree words in the book.
— Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-9 / grades K-4.
Recommended for Grades K-4 for the following subject areas: English Language Arts, Social Studies.
Additional Information
24 pages | 9.00" x 7.00"

Synopsis:
Join Raven and Frog as they both count to ten in their own way. Raven teaches one to ten in rhyme and with a focus on number recognition. Frog teaches one to ten with visual supports of number representation.
Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Raven Series, a set of six books written for the emergent reader and learner. Each book focuses on a specific learning intention that builds on strengthening learning with the support of an adult.
A Little Note about Counting:
Learning to count is a foundational skill and our world is full of numbers. Young learners will learn early on in life that they can have one candy, not ten. In order to support the learning we can teach first what the numbers 1 to 10 look like while counting/naming them. After many practises counting/naming, we can then teach the amount of each number. For example, we can show the learners; I can hold one cracker in my left hand and two crackers in my right hand. Last, we can show number representation in a pattern, like the number patterns on dice. Of course, this is only the beginning of discovering that our world is full of math but this is such a great start for any young learner.
This resource is available in French: Corbeau et Grenouille comptent
Note: French book dimensions differ.
Additional Information
16 pages | Dimensions: 10" x 14" | ISBN: 9781771741538

Synopsis:
Based on a traditional story, Raven and the Box is a simple storyline. With each action that Raven makes you can play along with your own actions.
Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Raven Series, a set of six books written for the emergent reader and learner. Each book focuses on a specific learning intention that builds on strengthening learning with the support of an adult.
A Little Note about Retelling:
Learning to tell and retell stories is a foundational skill. Oral retells promote comprehension and build vocabulary capacity. This story allows actions to be performed as it is being told. Actions can sometimes support the retelling of a storyline. Invite learners and their families to come in and share one of their own traditional family stories.
This resource is available in French: Corbeau et la boîte
Note: French book dimensions differ.
Additional Information
16 pages | Dimensions: 10" x 14" | ISBN: 9781771741521
Synopsis:
You are more powerful than you imagine.
In this lyrical picture book, young readers are reminded of their cultural roots, the wisdom of their ancestors and their own potential. Each page offers an affirmation about identity, respect, love and truth, encouraging all children to embrace their unique gifts and power. From the resilience flowing through their veins to the knowledge written in the stars, Remember Who You Are inspires children to see themselves as integral parts of their community, capable of great leadership and great kindness.
Perfect for bedtime reading and classroom discussions, this book fosters a deep sense of belonging and pride by celebrating Indigenous heritage and reminding young readers who they truly are.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
This book is available in a dual-language format: Remember Who You Are / kiskisi awîna kiya.
This book is available in French: N'oublie jamais qui tu es.
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
“All aboard our little boat!
We’ll sail all night.
Let’s see where we float!”
Full speed ahead as two siblings sail off for dreamland! Before these two can settle down under the covers, they cruise off onto the Arctic Ocean to bid goodnight to narwhals and guillemots, mikes and belugas. They sail past clouds shaped like polar bears and marvel at the multitudes of stars that twinkle between them. Before dawn pulls them back to their own cozy bedroom, they snack with the seals on the bow of their ship, waving goodbye as from dreamland to daytime they go.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
Following the huge success of Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox, this companion book is a lyrical celebration of our relationship to the natural world.
In each of twelve short poems, a child tells us how or why they feel like the sun, a river, a mountain, a cloud, the rain, a forest and more. Their deeply felt connections and identification with these wonders point to how much we are all part of the natural world. Each poem comes to life through vivid, playful illustrations that show the children immersed in their surroundings. The book serves as a gentle call to action — to notice, appreciate, preserve and protect our environment, while delighting in all its beauty.
A mindfulness activity — A Mindful Walk or Roll — invites young readers to use their senses to experience their surroundings to the fullest. Includes a brief author’s note that highlights our connections to the natural world.
Educator & Series Information Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6
This book is part of the Sometimes I Feel Like series.
Key Text Features
- author’s note
- illustrations
- poems
- procedural text
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.5
Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 10.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
When two foxes, who are best friends, have a fight it upsets the whole community of animals. Kokom the Owl knows just what to do and brings together all the animals and holds a Sharing Circle.
Educator Information
This book is an adaptation of the book The Sharing Circle for a younger audience (ages 4-6). Explores topics of respect, communication, relationships. Useful social-emotional learning resource.
Includes a page of Plains Cree animals and their phonetic pronunciations at the end of the book.
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list as being useful for grades K-3 in these areas: English Language Arts.
This book is available in French: Le cercle d'aide et de partage
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
Makwa has to go to a new school … and he doesn’t want to. How will he face his first day?
Educator & Series Information
The First Day is a book in the series The Seven Teachings Stories. The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.
This resource is also available in French: Le Premier jour: Une histoire sur le courage
Selected for inclusion in the Spring 2015 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens (BBKT) by the Canadian Children's Book Centre.
Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
When two rabbit sisters ignore their parents' warnings and decide to play outside on the open tundra, a hungry owl soon spots them and decides they will make a delicious meal. As a chase ensues, the sisters must act quickly, using the owl's own greed against him in order to get away.
A traditional Inuit story and cautionary tale, this book presents a centuries-old narrative for a new generation of readers.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3-5.
Additional Information
40 pages | 8.00" x 9.00"

Synopsis:
On the banks of the Gwa’yi River, a young Dzawada̱ʼenux̱w princess grows up to be a curious student, an influential leader, and a mother. She is a humble person and doesn’t speak of her royalty to her children, but when they learn she is a princess at a traditional celebration, they are in disbelief. She doesn’t wear fancy clothes or attend balls or do anything the children think princesses should do. Using a strategy they had read about in an old tale to put their mother’s royalty to the test, the children discover the truth. But more importantly, they also learn what it really means to be a princess.
Written as a tribute to the author’s grandmother, this beautifully illustrated story reimagines a fairy tale in a contemporary Indigenous setting.
Awards
- First Place: 2025 Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Book Awards for BC Authors
- Longlisted: 2024-2025 First Nation Communities READ Award
Reviews
“Loved the role modelling of the princess as one who represents adventure, cultural knowledge, and caring for others while finding achievement. The story promotes respect, admiration, humility, kindness, and honouring of a strong, successful female. The imaginative story is a fun challenge to princess stereotypes and classic related fairytales. The nonfiction content provides an enriching and personalized bonus that deepens the impact of the words and provides local significance.…. The illustrations are excellent, offering accurate and attractive cultural designs, clothing, headwear, and jewellery.” – The 2025 Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society judges’ panel
"A contemporary Indigenous spin on The Princess and the Pea, the picture book is suitable as a part of a fairy tale unit and a read-aloud to spark discussions about personal qualities and attributes, expectations, stereotypes, curiosity, the importance of helping others, and honouring traditions." – Focused Education Resources
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Backmatter provides details about Ukwanalis, including a map, as well as information about the inspiration behind the story, Dr. Evelyn Voyageur.
Curriculum Connections
- Early Literacy – listening, reading, and discussing
- Art – traditional Indigenous art practices, including jewellery and regalia
- Social Studies – career education, family history, connection to community, geography, and local First Peoples communities
- Language Arts – contemporary First Peoples stories and revisioning classic fairy tales
- Social Responsibility – leadership, humility, caring for others, and honouring traditions
Additional Information
24 Pages | 8.5” x 11” | Hardcover | 9781771746038
Synopsis:
When a mother and daughter find a polar bear cub alone on the sea ice, the daughter cannot bear to leave it behind. Finding no mother bear in sight, the two adopt the cub and raise it as the girl’s brother.
The cub and the girl become fast friends—even if the cub’s bear sense of smell always means he wins at hide-and-seek! The cub hunts for the community, and they never want for food. But the cub continues to grow, and eventually he is no longer a fuzzy little cub, but a powerful full-grown bear. Some in the community become fearful of the bear, but the girl and her mother love him just the same.
That is, until one day, the bear returns from a hunt with another bear by his side. The mother soon learns that they need to let the cub go, in order for him to live the happy life they want for him.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
Additional Information
36 pages | 8.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
From Julie Flett, the beloved author and illustrator of Birdsong, comes a joyous new book about playtime for babies, toddlers, and kids up to age 7.
Animals and kids love to play! This wonderful book celebrates diversity and the interconnectedness of nature through an Indigenous perspective, complete with a glossary of Cree words for wild animals at the back of the book, and children repeating a Cree phrase throughout the book. Readers will encounter birds who chase and chirp, bears who wiggle and wobble, whales who swim and squirt, owls who peek and peep, and a diverse group of kids who love to do the same, shouting: We play too! / kimêtawânaw mîna
A beautiful ode to the animals and humans we share our world with, We All Play belongs on every bookshelf.
Awards
- 2021 Bull-Bransom Illustration Award Winner
- 2022 Best Book for Babies
Reviews
“Everyone loves to play! Award-winning author/illustrator Flett shares the joyful antics of young animals as they romp in much the same way as human children…This celebration of nature is sprinkled with words from the Cree language… [and] celebrate[s] our interconnection with the creatures who share our world.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Cree-Métis artist Flett starts with quiet, elegant portraits of animals….In spare compositions, [she] aptly underlines [the kinship between animals and people] by showing animals and humans embracing play in similar ways.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A beautifully illustrated book that introduces a series of young animals at play, then relates their activities to those of children … affirming our oneness with nature.”—Booklist
Educator Information
Recommended for babies, toddlers and children up to age 7.
This book is available in a board book format: We All Play (BB)
Additional Information
40 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, Carole Lindstrom's bold and lyrical picture book We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguarding the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.
Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all . . .
When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people’s water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
Featuring illustrations by Michaela Goade.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.
Includes information on water protectors and the importance of water protection at the back of the book, as well as a glossary with a few words in different Indigenous languages, such as Ojibwe, Tlingit, and Lakota.
This book is available in French: Nous sommes les protecteurs de l'eau
Additional Information
40 pages | 10.00" x 10.00"
Synopsis:
A celebration of the bond between parent and child, this is the perfect song to share with your little ones.
In this sweet and lyrical picture book from the creators of the bestselling Little You, gentle rhythmic text captures the wonder new parents feel as they welcome baby into the world.
Internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author Richard Van Camp teams up with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett for a second time to create a stunning book for young readers.
Reviews
"Both Van Camp's words and Flett's illustrations are economical, but We Sang You Home is not a quick read. Instead, each of the paired pages of text and illustration truly demands that the reader pause and reflect on the pages' contents. Highly recommended." — CM Magazine
"The emotions of parenthood—including feelings of love, elation, and gratitude—are certain to be conveyed to [children] by the parents who share this tale with them. A lovely picture book that will resonate with parents and show young readers the profound, positive impact they have on their parents' lives." — School Library Journal
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 2 and under.
This book is available in a board book format: We Sang You Home
This book is available in a dual-language format: We Sang You Home / Ka Kîweh Nikamôstamâtinân
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover
Authenticity Note: This story is meant to appeal to and honour a variety of families, not only Indigenous families. This is why we have labelled it as not containing Indigenous text content; it may still work as an Indigenous text for your purposes, though, as the author and illustrator are in Indigenous.
Synopsis:
Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. She has friends with super speed (who always beat her in races), friends with super strength (who can dangle from the monkey bars for hours), and friends who are better than her at a million other things.
Nalvana thinks she must be the only kid in town without a superpower.
But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special—and that her superpower was right in front of her all along.
Awards
- 2017 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens
Reviews
“. . . [W]ell-written, [and] heart-warming . . .” — Quill & Quire
“Nalvana is a bundle of creativity, spunk, and determination—readers will be happy to know her.” — Kirkus
“. . . [A] very sweet story that encourages children to rethink how they evaluate success . . .” — The Book Wars
“. . . Nalvana’s superpower is not one of the athletic or other overt skills that are normally so admired in our current society . . ., Aviaq Johnston has made her story one of inclusivity, not exclusivity.” — CanLit for Little Canadians
“. . . [A] book kids will clamor to read, even as they learn terms like ‘anaana’, ‘inuksuk’, and ‘panik’. That’s its superpower.” — School Library Journal
Educator Information
An Inuktitut Glossary consisting of four words is included at the back of the book.
Recommended ages: 3-5
This book has been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Its F&P level is L.
This book is available in a revised board book edition: What's My Superpower? (BB)
Additional Information
36 pages | 8.75" x 8.75"
Synopsis:
When We Are Kind celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. Celebrated author Monique Gray Smith has written many books on the topics of resilience and reconciliation and communicates an important message through carefully chosen words for readers of all ages. Beautifully illustrated by artist Nicole Neidhardt, this book encourages children to be kind to others and to themselves.
Awards
- 2022 Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award
- 2021 Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Shining Willow
Reviews
“A perfect addition to your bedtime routine, and would make a great gift for every teacher and librarian your child knows, so each school has a copy upon reopening.” — them.
“Simple statements have the resonance of affirmations and establish a clear chain of connectedness…A panoply of Indigenous characters is featured in rich detail. A visual feast for families interested in seeing the Native world through small, kind deeds.” — Kirkus Reviews
“An accessible picture book that will work well as a read-aloud in a group or for quiet reading alone. Whether at home or in the classroom, its pleasing repetition of phrases. such as 'I am kind when' and 'I feel', will appeal to young readers and invite re-reading. Highly Recommended.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"When We Are Kind is a poem-like story that celebrates the simple acts of everyday kindness. The story encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. It is an appropriate text for a younger audience, but it also has a relevant reminder message for older children." — The Dalai Lama Center
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
Themes: Teaching Compassion, Being Kind, Family, Friendship, Gratitude
Simple, pointed text gives examples of how children can be kind to those around them, the different emotions that receiving kindness can make us feel, and how we maintain a connection with one another through acts of kindness within our community.
This book is also available in a dual-language format: When We Are Kind / Nihá’ádaahwiinít’íįgo
This book is also available in French: Nous sommes gentils
This book is available as a board book: When We Are Kind (BB)
This resource is recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for grades K to 4 for use in these areas: Career Education, English Language Arts, Social Studies.
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00"
Synopsis:
Celebrated Mi'kmaw artist behind The Thundermaker returns with a story about friendship and the importance of traditional knowledge.
From the bestselling creator of The Thundermaker comes another adventure featuring Little Thunder and Wolverine — a trickster, who is strong and fierce and loyal. The two are best of friends, even though Wolverine can sometimes get them into trouble. Their favourite pastime is eel fishing, whether it's cutting through winter ice with a stone axe or catching eels in traditional stone weirs in the summer. But that all changes one night, when they encounter the giant river eel — the eel that is too big to catch. The eel that hunts people!
At once a universal story of friendship and problem-solving, Wolverine and Little Thunder is a contemporary invocation of traditional Mi'kmaw knowledge, reinforcing the importance of the relationship between the Mi'kmaq and eel, a dependable year-round food source traditionally offered to Glooscap, the Creator, for a successful hunt.
Educator Information
Recommended ages: 4-8
Additional Information
40 pages | Paperback

Synopsis:
Anishinaabe teachings share that all children are Sacred. Still new to this world, they are close to the Spirit world and deeply connected to Mother Earth.
Rooted in this belief, You Are Sacred is a lyrical story that encourages the spiritual wellness of young learners. Each page is a reminder that we are all relations and can find solace in the plants and animals, land and sky, and Ancestors around us. Using the teachings of the Spiritual quadrant of the Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel, this affirmational picture book shares a heartwarming message for children: You are Sacred.
This is the first book in the All That You Are series.
Awards
- 2024-2025 First Nation Communities READ Award Longlisted
- Honourable Mention in the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Indigenous Voices Book Award
Educator Information
You Are Sacred is a perfect read-aloud for children ages 3 to 6 in both classrooms and homes.
Curriculum Connections:
Early Literacy – listening, reading, and discussing
Art – traditional Anishinaabe clothing and art
Health and Wellness – focusing on breath and balance, self-affirmation
Science – harmonious ecosystems, biodiversity of plants and animals with Indigenous cultural importance, environmental awareness
Social Responsibility – uplifting others and ourselves
Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions – teachings of the Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel, the Seven Generations, and All Our Relations
Series Information
You Are Sacred is the first book in the All That You Are series. Through lyrical text and watercolour illustrations, this series shares the teachings of the Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel to remind children of their connection to the world around them. Each book is inspired by one quadrant of the Medicine Wheel that represents an aspect of wellness—Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, or Mental. A diagram of the Medicine Wheel is included at the back of the books. Anishinaabe Connections are also included to share more about Anishinaabe art, culture, and traditions explored in the text and illustrations.
You Are the Land is the second book in the series.
A percentage of proceeds from the All That You Are series is donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society to support their efforts in advocacy for justice and healing. To find out more information, please visit https://www.irsss.ca/.
Additional Information
24 Pages | 8" x 8" | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77174-629-8
Synopsis:
Encourage children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other’s well-being in their everyday actions.
Consultant, international speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote You Hold Me Up to prompt a dialogue among young people, their care providers and educators about reconciliation and the importance of the connections children make with their friends, classmates and families. This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.
Reviews
"Smith's text is heartwarming! And the illustrations, by Danielle Daniel, reflect Native people in the present day. Like My Heart Fills with Happiness, this new book by Smith is one that parents, grandparents, pre-school and elementary teachers, and librarians, will want to have on their shelves." — Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature
"People of all ages can find something of value within the pages of Monique Gray Smith and Danielle Daniel's book…Smith has Cree and Lakota ancestry, while Daniel is Métis. With this book, they become quiet and understated—yet powerful—voices in an age of reconciliation. You Hold Me Up is simple, yet beautiful, subtle but thought-provoking. It contains critical messages about love, unity, and support. Through carefully chosen words and strong, colourful are, the book presents an important reminder to readers to sustain and support one another. Highly Recommended." — CM Magazine
"Perfect for a shared storytime as well as a lap-sit reading session, the actions of each person emphasize community, togetherness, and mutual respect. While sharing is a universal concept, Daniel's illustrations bring specificity to the narrative…Just as in Smith's board book My Heart Fills with Happiness, readers will joyfully make connections between their own communities and the indigenous one depicted here." — IndiePicks Magazine
"You Hold Me Up is a rhythmic story that reinforces for young readers about reconciliation and the importance of the connections children make with others. The story aims to encourage children to build relationships, foster empathy and encourage respect between peers while considering each other’s well-being in their everyday actions." — The Dalai Lama Center
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.
This book is available in English and Plains Cree: You Hold Me Up / ê-ohpinitoyahk
This book is available in English and Anishinaabemowin: You Hold Me Up / Gimanaadenim
This book is also available in French: Tu es là pour moi
This book is available in a board book format for younger audiences: You Hold Me Up (BB)
Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00"
Synopsis:
An adventure begins when Zoe finds a lone fawn in the forest and helps search for its mother. But who could the mother be? A bunny? A fish? Join Zoe and her father as they encounter many woodland animals and learn their Native names along the way.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Paperback
Nonfiction

Synopsis:
Each book in the series, From the Mountains to the Sea, supports the new BC Aboriginal Learning Standards in both Science and Social Studies.
From the Mountains to the Sea: We Live Here is a Kindergarten resource, which covers all of your Aboriginal Learning Standards in both science and social studies within the new BC curriculum.
Click link to download a five-week Kindergarten planning guide: Kindergarten FREE Download for We Live Here
Back of book introduction:
This book is about a river. Can you find a river on the front cover of this book? What do you know about rivers?
Most rivers start high up in the mountains. As the water comes down the hill, it makes little pathways in the rocks and gravel. As the pathways get bigger, they join to make streams. Sometimes the streams join together to make a river. Where a river leaves the mountains the ground flattens out, and the river slows down. The river ends when it flows into the sea.
The area in and around a river is a good place for plants, animals and people to live because we can all find food and water there. The salmon is an important food for many of us.
Some of the plants and animals that you will find in this book are:
- Cedar trees live and grow all the way along a river, from the mountains to the sea.
- Salmon spend their adult lives out in the open sea. When it is time to lay their eggs, they swim back to their home streams. Their home streams are sometimes very close to the mountains.
- Bears walk long distances to find their food. They live from the mountains to the sea. In the fall they go to the rivers to fish for salmon.
- Eagles fly over large areas looking for food. They live from the mountains to the sea. In the fall, they go to the rivers to feast on salmon.
- Orcas live in the open sea. They swim long distances to hunt for food. Some orcas eat salmon.
This book is also part of a bundled package that includes:
- a Talking Feather
- rubber stamps
- bulletin board trimmers
Click here to view the bundle: From the Mountains to the Sea: We Live Here Bundle
This resource is available in French: Collection Des montagnes à la mer: Nous habitons ici
Additional Information
Book dimensions: 10" x 14" | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781771741019
Synopsis:
In this book, Gifts From Raven, Kung Jaadee a Haida storyteller, shares with us that Raven has given each person a special gift to share with the world. That gift is their unique talent or passion.
Reviews
"This story opens opportunities for discussions about generosity, community, diversity, unique talents, and helping others. This resource also supports learning about traditional Indigenous uses of natural resources in Social Studies and Science. Gifts from Raven is suitable as an enjoyable read-aloud for early primary students, and as an independent read for students in grades two and up. This resource features a short guide to Haida words with a visual for each." - Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021
Educator Information
This is an adaptation of her book Raven’s Feast for a younger audience.
A page at the back of the book includes a few words in Haida and how to say them.
Suggested for ages 4-6.
Included in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list as being useful for grades K-1 in the areas of Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts.
This book is available in French: Les cadeaux du corbeau
Additional Information
34 pages | 9.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
When the nighttime sky fills with stars, Grandmother Mouse awakens and begins her grounding ceremonies.
Inhale, exhale
Inhale, exhale
Inhale, exhale. . .
Gifted to the Nisg̱a'a People, Grandmother Mouse is a nurturing protector, tending to the hearts and minds of the people, the plants, the animals, and all of our relations. Imbuing the world with smudge, blessings, and affirmations, Grandmother Mouse is here to offer you gentle, yet profound, teachings so you may walk through life with good intention and strong spirit.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4+.
Additional Information
24 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
When Phyllis was a little girl she was excited to go to residential school for the first time. Her Granny bought her a bright orange shirt that she loved and she wore it to school for her first day. When she arrived at school her bright orange shirt was taken away. This is both Phyllis Webstad's true story and the story behind Orange Shirt Day which is a day for us all to reflect upon the treatment of First Nations people and the message that 'Every Child Matters'.
Educator Information
Phyllis's Orange Shirt is an adaptation of The Orange Shirt Story which was the best selling children's book in Canada for several weeks in September 2018. This true story also inspired the movement of Orange Shirt Day which could become a federal statutory holiday. A page of information about this day is included at the end of the book. A short author biography is also included.
Adapted for ages 4-6.
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for grades K-1 in the areas of English Language Arts and Social Studies.
This book is available in French: Le chandail orange de Phyllis
Additional Information
30 pages | 9.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
The ABC’s of Our Spiritual Connection threads many First Nations Spiritual beliefs across North America.
Author/illustrator Kim Soo Goodtrack shares that our Cultural collective is rich with beauty, wisdom, and Spirit. We have so much to be proud of! Traditional teachings that have stood the test of time…even when many of the teachings were outlawed, they have survived!
Awards
- The first edition of The ABC’s of Our Spiritual Connection won a Children's Choice Award.
Educator Information
Sesame Street aired the ABC’s book for a few years. WAKANHEJA the Aboriginal Puppet show was based on the ABC book as well.
Many schools, reserves, community libraries, Head Start programs, and teacher’s colleges across North America have the ABC’s of Our Spiritual Connection in their library collections.
Additional Information
54 Pages | 11” x 8.5”
Synopsis:
When we look up to the sky and see a beautiful eagle soaring by, we may stop to appreciate its graceful sight, but, as Kevin Locke explains, eagles also have powerful teachings to offer. In this book, Kevin shares with us that each feather on the eagle's wing represents a virtue that we can all learn from.
Educator Information
This book is an adaptation of the book Dawn Flight for a younger audience (ages 4-6). Explores Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
A page at the back of the book includes a few words in Lakota.
Suggested for Ages 4-6.
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list as being useful for grades K-2 in this area: Social Studies.
This book is available in French: La plume d'aigle
Additional Information
26 pages | 9.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
Everyone gets sad, angry, frustrated and disappointed. Difficult emotions are a natural part of life. In this book, Trudy's Healing Stone, Trudy Spiller shares a special teaching about a practice that anyone can use to help them process their feelings with the help of Mother Earth.
Educator Information
This book is an adaptation of Trudy’s Rock Story for a younger audience (ages 4-6).
A few Gitxsan words and how to say them are included at the end of the book.
This book is also available in French: Le caillou de guérison de Trudy.
Recommended for ages 4-6
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for Grades Pre-K to 1 for English Language Arts.
Additional Information
28 pages | 9.00" x 8.00"
Synopsis:
"Every child matters, including you and me. With our orange hearts, we walk in harmony." As a young child, your little world can be full of big emotions. In this book, I, Phyllis Webstad, founder of Orange Shirt Day, show that sharing my story with the world helped me to process my feelings. My true orange shirt story encourages young children to open their hearts and listen as others share their feelings, and to be more comfortable sharing their own feelings too. Listening is a first step towards reconciliation. It's never too early to start.
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 2 to 6.
This book is available in French in paperback: Avec nos coeurs oranges
This book is available in English in hardcover: With Our Orange Hearts (HC)
Additional Information
24 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Paperback
Leveled Readers

Synopsis:
Level 3 - Back cover book introduction: This book is about a Métis sash. This sash is made from 5 coloured threads. The threads are woven together. Weaving the threads together makes a sash very strong.
Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Strong Readers Métis Series. The Strong Readers Métis Series includes a mixture of fiction and non-fiction books that provide cultural reflections of the Métis.
This is a Level 3 book in the series.
This resource is also available in French: Ma ceinture fléchée métisse.
Additional Information
16 Pages | Dimensions: 6in x 9in | ISBN: 9781771740739

Synopsis:
Level 3 - Back cover book introduction: This book is about a dog team. The dog in the front is the lead dog. The dogs in the team work together to pull a sled. What do you notice about these dogs?
Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Strong Readers Northern Series. The Northern Series includes a mixture of fiction and non-fiction books that provide cultural reflections of the Inuit.
This is a Level 3 book in the series.
This resource is also available in French: Un attelage de chiens.
Additional Information
16 Pages | Dimensions: 6in x 9in | ISBN: 9781771740593


Synopsis:
Level 1 Illustrated by Bill Helin. Back cover book introduction: Many animals fish for their supper. What are some things that animals fish for?
Educator & Series Information
Fish for Supper is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.
The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. Strong Readers are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.
Guided Reading Level: 1
This resource is also available in French: Du poisson pour le souper.
Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9780987967015
Decodable Books

Synopsis:
In this story, Gus learns to drum. He drums to the sun and his favourite animals.
Mi’gmaq use moose hide to make drums. Drumming is medicine to Mi’gmaq. The drum sounds like the beat of Mother Earth’s heart.
Have you ever played a drum?
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-7, for use in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms.
Cedar School Decodables is divided into six sets, which increase in word count and complexity of sentence structure. Gus Can Drum is in Set 1 – Short Vowels, and reviews short u. Books in Set 1 have 40-60 words.
Readers should be familiar with the concepts included in Set 1:
- consonants
- beginning and end blends
- short vowels
- s – /s/ and /z/
- -s suffix
Series Information
Welcome to Cedar School! Join Liv, Tom, Gus, and Bell as they learn on the land and explore Mi’gmaw teachings with their teacher, Miss Sam, and the school’s Mi’gmaw Elder, Jen. With charming illustrations and simple storylines, this decodable series engages students as they practise their reading skills. Each book includes a pre-reading review of non-decodable words, and many of the books introduce special words related to Indigenous teachings. Talking Together prompts facilitate discussions led by the reading teacher.
Developed in partnership with Dyslexia Canada, Cedar School Decodables is a series of 20 decodable books for young readers. Designed for students who have previously learned short vowel and consonant sounds, additional phonic skills are developed progressively throughout the series.
The series will be accompanied by Cedar School Decodables Teacher’s Guide and a series of four picture books, which will be available at a later date.
Additional Information
16 pages | 6.5” x 5.5” | Paperback | ISBN: 978-1-77174-638-0

Synopsis:
In this story, Tom and Liv play tag in the forest. They run and hide among cedar, birch, and maple trees.
Cedar is a traditional medicine tree for Mi’gmaq. Birch bark is used by Mi’gmaq to make many things, including canoes and moose callers. Traditionally, Mi’gmaq used birch bark bowls to collect maple sap.
What kind of trees grow where you live?
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-7, for use in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms.
Cedar School Decodables is divided into six sets, which increase in word count and complexity of sentence structure. Liv Is It! is in Set 1 – Short Vowels, and reviews short i. Books in Set 1 have 40-60 words. Books in Set 1 have 40-60 words.
Readers should be familiar with the concepts included in Set 1:
- consonants
- beginning and end blends
- short vowels
- s – /s/ and /z/
- -s suffix
Series Information
Welcome to Cedar School! Join Liv, Tom, Gus, and Bell as they learn on the land and explore Mi’gmaw teachings with their teacher, Miss Sam, and the school’s Mi’gmaw Elder, Jen. With charming illustrations and simple storylines, this decodable series engages students as they practise their reading skills. Each book includes a pre-reading review of non-decodable words, and many of the books introduce special words related to Indigenous teachings. Talking Together prompts facilitate discussions led by the reading teacher.
Developed in partnership with Dyslexia Canada, Cedar School Decodables is a series of 20 decodable books for young readers. Designed for students who have previously learned short vowel and consonant sounds, additional phonic skills are developed progressively throughout the series.
The series will be accompanied by Cedar School Decodables Teacher’s Guide and a series of four picture books, which will be available at a later date.
Additional Information
16 pages | 6.5” x 5.5” | Paperback | ISBN: 978-1-77174-636-6

Synopsis:
In this story, Tom and Jen go fishing at Log Pond. Tom sees a frog and a fox, and then he catches a fish!
Mi’gmaq fish to provide food for their families and communities. The first catch is always given to family or Elders.
Have you ever gone fishing?
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-7, for use in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms.
Cedar School Decodables is divided into six sets, which increase in word count and complexity of sentence structure. Log Pond is in Set 1 – Short Vowels, and reviews short o. Books in Set 1 have 40-60 words.
Readers should be familiar with the concepts included in Set 1:
- consonants
- beginning and end blends
- short vowels
- s – /s/ and /z/
- -s suffix
Series Information
Welcome to Cedar School! Join Liv, Tom, Gus, and Bell as they learn on the land and explore Mi’gmaw teachings with their teacher, Miss Sam, and the school’s Mi’gmaw Elder, Jen. With charming illustrations and simple storylines, this decodable series engages students as they practise their reading skills. Each book includes a pre-reading review of non-decodable words, and many of the books introduce special words related to Indigenous teachings. Talking Together prompts facilitate discussions led by the reading teacher.
Developed in partnership with Dyslexia Canada, Cedar School Decodables is a series of 20 decodable books for young readers. Designed for students who have previously learned short vowel and consonant sounds, additional phonic skills are developed progressively throughout the series.
The series will be accompanied by Cedar School Decodables Teacher’s Guide and a series of four picture books, which will be available at a later date.
Additional Information
16 pages | 6.5” x 5.5” | Paperback | ISBN: 978-1-77174-637-3
Synopsis:
In this story, the class learns how to fish for salmon with a net. But first, Jen must mend the net!
Salmon fishing is important to Mi’gmaq. Mi’gmaq use nets to fish for salmon in large rivers. Traditionally, the inner part of pine trees was used to make and mend nets.
Have you ever seen a fishing net?
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-7, for use in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms.
Cedar School Decodables is divided into six sets, which increase in word count and complexity of sentence structure. Mend a Net is in Set 1 – Short Vowels, and reviews short e. Books in Set 1 have 40-60 words.
Readers should be familiar with the concepts included in Set 1:
- consonants
- beginning and end blends
- short vowels
- s – /s/ and /z/
- -s suffix
Series Information
Welcome to Cedar School! Join Liv, Tom, Gus, and Bell as they learn on the land and explore Mi’gmaw teachings with their teacher, Miss Sam, and the school’s Mi’gmaw Elder, Jen. With charming illustrations and simple storylines, this decodable series engages students as they practise their reading skills. Each book includes a pre-reading review of non-decodable words, and many of the books introduce special words related to Indigenous teachings. Talking Together prompts facilitate discussions led by the reading teacher.
Developed in partnership with Dyslexia Canada, Cedar School Decodables is a series of 20 decodable books for young readers. Designed for students who have previously learned short vowel and consonant sounds, additional phonic skills are developed progressively throughout the series.
The series will be accompanied by Cedar School Decodables Teacher’s Guide and a series of four picture books, which will be available at a later date.
Additional Information
16 pages | 6.5” x 5.5” | Paperback | ISBN: 978-1-77174-639-7

Synopsis:
In this story, Tom and Liv learn how to collect sap from maple trees. Back at school, Miss Sam heats the sap, and it turns into maple syrup!
Mi’gmaq use maple syrup to sweeten their foods and as medicine.
Have you ever tasted maple syrup?
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-7, for use in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms.
Cedar School Decodables is divided into six sets, which increase in word count and complexity of sentence structure. Sap! is in Set 1 – Short Vowels, and reviews short a and nasalized a. Books in Set 1 have 40-60 words.
Readers should be familiar with the concepts included in Set 1:
- consonants
- beginning and end blends
- short vowels
- s – /s/ and /z/
- -s suffix
Series Information
Welcome to Cedar School! Join Liv, Tom, Gus, and Bell as they learn on the land and explore Mi’gmaw teachings with their teacher, Miss Sam, and the school’s Mi’gmaw Elder, Jen. With charming illustrations and simple storylines, this decodable series engages students as they practise their reading skills. Each book includes a pre-reading review of non-decodable words, and many of the books introduce special words related to Indigenous teachings. Talking Together prompts facilitate discussions led by the reading teacher.
Developed in partnership with Dyslexia Canada, Cedar School Decodables is a series of 20 decodable books for young readers. Designed for students who have previously learned short vowel and consonant sounds, additional phonic skills are developed progressively throughout the series.
The series will be accompanied by Cedar School Decodables Teacher’s Guide and a series of four picture books, which will be available at a later date.
Additional Information
16 pages | 6.5” x 5.5” | Paperback | ISBN: 978-1-77174-635-9