Art

Illustrator Rogé visited a school in Mingan, an Innu village in northeastern Quebec. He spent a few days taking the time to photograph each child. Once he returned home to his studio, brush in hand, he revisited the eyes of these children and drew their portraits.

Mingan, my village is a collection of fifteen faces, and fifteen poems written by young Innu. Given a platform to be heard, the children chose to transport readers far away from the difficulties and problems related to their realities to see the beauty that surrounds them in nature.

First published in French as Mingan Mon Village in 2012, which won several awards and nominations, including:  Winner, 2013 Prix des libraires du Québec jeunesse (5-11 years category); 2013 Governor General’s Award, French Children’s Illustration finalist Finalist; Prix TD de Littérature Canadienne pour L’enfance et la Jeunesse 2013.

Reviews
"Mingan, My Village is a beautiful collection of poetry created by Innu children of the Teueikan school in Mingan, Quebec. The compilation includes 15 poems and 15 portraits that reveal a glimpse into the lives of the poets. Their poetry often focuses on local values, including relationships with nature and connections with the ancestors. The children skilfully integrate elements of imagery, metaphor, and simile, filling each page with emotion and meaning. . . Mingan, My Village offers a heartfelt glimpse into the lives of the Innu children. The poetry is inspired and supported by a range of artists, and Rogé's artwork masterfully complements the poets. Highly Recommended." — CM Magazine

Additional Information
42 pages | 8.00" x 12.00"

It is winter. The land lies still, quiet and stark beneath a blanket of snow. The tiny footprints of a mouse can be seen in the light of the moon.

"Wrapped in the quiet, and there in the bleak, there stood a wise mouse, preparing to speak."

The words that mouse chose were from many years past. She spoke them into the cold night air. So begins the enchanting story of a very special Winter Solstice celebration.

Kwakwaka’wakw author Terri Mack and Tsimshian artist Bill Helin have collaborated to bring us this story of strength, friendship and celebration. The lyrical text and engaging illustrations will appeal to readers of all ages.

Author's note:
Gila'kasla!
I spent a year writing and rewriting this poem to be sure to convey the message clearly to my audience. It was important to me that the poem reflect the importance of us all joining together to find the sacredness in celebration, the joy of belonging within a greater community and the voice of determination inside of each of us. Inspired by Indigenous Peoples rising, healing and joining together I hope that this poem inspires our youth to be strong and determined in all their future goals.
~Terri Mack

Additional Information
24 pages | 9" x 12" | ISBN: 9781771740555 | Paperback

Learn animal names in Cree with this fun and playful activity workbook. Lively illustrations bring the animals to life. Practice how to write out syllabics, play matching games and colour your own animals! Ideal for home or school.

Level 8 - Back cover book introduction: Beads are small. They come in many colours. This book is about learning to make things with beads.

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 8 book in the series.

This resource is also available in French: Je peux perler.

Additional Information
16 Pages | Book Dimensions: 6in x 9in | ISBN: 9781771740715

In a time when darkness covered the land, a boy named Weget is born who is destined to bring the light. With the gift of a raven's skin that allows him to fly as well as transform, Weget turns into a bird and journeys from Haida Gwaii into the sky. There he finds the Chief of the Heavens who keeps the light in a box. By transforming himself into a pine needle, clever Weget tricks the Chief and escapes with the daylight back down to Earth.

Vividly portrayed through the art of Roy Henry Vickers, Weget's story has been passed down for generations. The tale has been traced back at least 3,000 years by archeologists who have found images of Weget's journey in petroglyphs on the Nass and Skeena rivers. This version of the story originates from one told to the author by Chester Bolton, Chief of the Ravens, from the village of Kitkatla around 1975.

Reviews
"One of the great problems we face today is our sense of isolation and separateness from the rest of the world. Roy Henry Vickers' art constantly reminds us of the interconnectedness of everything in the world. With this magnificent book, he shows us our interdependence physically and spiritually. It is a message we have to hear." — David Suzuki, environmental activist, broadcaster, author

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Northwest Coast Legends Series.

Other books in this series include:
Raven Brings the Light
Cloudwalker
Orca Chief
Peace Dancer 

Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

Additional Information
40 pages | 12.00" x 8.25"

Telling stories has been a Métis tradition for generations. Papayrs or Mooshums and Mamayrs or Kookhums share stories with their grandchildren, parents share stories with their children, and friends share stories with one another! Some stories are for fun while other stories teach lessons to young ones, and some do both. The favoured stories of many are those about tricksters like Chi-Jean or about Roogaroos, the Métis werewolf. In Roogaroo Mickey, Mamayr tells Louis and Charlie a Roogaroo story from when she was a little girl. But Roogaroos aren’t real …, right?

Comes with a CD featuring the English and Michif narrations of the book.

Leah Marie Dorion's The Diamond Willow Walking Stick: A Traditional Métis Story About Generosity focuses on a Métis Elder's remembrances of traditional teachings about generosity that were taught to him by his grandparents during his childhood. These lifelong lessons imparted on him "how to live in a good Métis way," and taught him how to live with respect within the circle of life. In this charming children's book, the third in an ongoing series on traditional Métis culture, author and illustrator Leah Marie Dorion takes the reader on another enchanting journey while once again honouring the special bond between Métis children and their grandparents. With breathtaking artwork and an elegant Michif translation by Norman Fleury, this heartfelt, coming of age story will resonate with both young and old. This book also includes a chart on the uses of the willow tree and an accompanying narration CD in English and Michif-Cree. This retelling of a traditional Métis story is most suitable for younger children.

Educator Information
This book also includes a chart on the uses of the willow tree and an accompanying narration CD in English and Michif-Cree.

This retelling of a traditional Metis story is most suitable for younger children.

Additional Information
56 Pages | 28 cm x 21.5 cm

Ukaliq is a fun and informative activity book about Nunavut, designed for readers aged three to six.

It's jam-packed with comics, stories, games, facts, photographs, and illustrations, providing young readers with entertaining and engaging opportunities to practice their independent reading skills.

This book features everything kids could want to know about Arctic puppies, complete with full-colour photographs, a beautifully illustrated version of a traditional myth, and a lively and exciting array of educational activities, from mazes to colouring pages!

Native Explore - Discover the Animals Colouring Book

Colour along as you learn about the significance of animals to the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest. This book gathers all new artwork within a colouring book of medium difficulty.

Features:

• Features the artwork of over 20 indigenous artists.
• 24 new animals to discover.
• Printed in Canada using non-toxic, vegetable-based ink, and water-based coating.
• 24 pages; measures 8.5" x 11".

Some of the artists who have contributed to this work include Dwayne Simeon, Bruce Morrisseau, Donald Peters, Mark A. Jacobson, Corey Bulpitt, Eric Parnell, Bruce Morrisseau, Wolf Morrisseau, Ben Houstie, Sean Whonnock, and Terry Starr.

Colour along as you learn about the significance of animals to the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest. This resource gathers creatures of the land, sea, and sky in a colouring book of medium difficulty.

Features:

• Features the artwork and insights of over 20 indigenous artists.
• Coloured back cover featuring every design for inspiration.
• Printed in Canada using non-toxic, vegetable based ink, and water based coating.
• 24 pages; measures 8.5" x 11". 

Two legged and four legged beings are beautifully illustrated and cultural meanings provided from the: Nuxalk, Namgis, Caost Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Haida, Bella Bella, Tsimshian, Kwa Na Ki Nulth and Nuchatlaht Nations.

Some of the contributors include: Cranmer, Ryan; Horne Sr., Francis; Windsor, Paul; Bulpitt, Corey; Young, T.J.; Houstie, Ben; Isaac, Eugene; Moraes, Corey W.;  Starr, Terry; John, Rose Elsie

This inspiring children's book -- a revised edition of the award-winning Flight of the Hummingbird -- is based on a South American Indigenous story about a courageous hummingbird who defies fear and expectations in her attempt to save the forest from fire. The illustrated story is supplemented by a natural and cultural history of hummingbirds, as well as an inspiring message from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. The evocative artwork by internationally renowned Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas complements the optimistic tale that encourages everyone to take responsibility for their home and the planet.

Reviews
“This fable-like tale shows readers how one person can make a difference in everyday life… The illustrations are… beautifully representative of Native Haida art.”—School Library Journal

“A visually striking, dramatic book… An environmental parable it is, but could it not be a parable for life itself?”—The Globe and Mail

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5+. 

Based on a South American Indigenous story, The Little Hummingbird features:

• Stunning artwork in Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ iconic style
• An inspiring afterword from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai
• Scientific and cultural facts about hummingbirds

Additional Information
32 pages | 6.75" x 10.00"

"Mom, when are we going to get there?" Parents know this question all too well. Wild About the West Coast Discovery Book is a fun way to help pass the time in the car, on the ferry, at home, on the beach or even at school. This beautifully designed activity book is uniquely British Columbian with images from salamanders to slugs, wolves and waves, surfers, shorebirds and more. This activity book is much more than a colouring book and includes more than a dozen puzzles as well as space for children to record their favourite moments on the Coast. The art is detailed and visually appealing, created by artist Marion Syme, a graduate of Emily Carr School of Art and Design. Wild About the West Coast is fun, educational and makes a wonderful keepsake for visitors from near and far.

Can a sewing project make a difference half-way across the world?

Lacey Little Bird loves spending time with Kahasi, an elder on her reserve who is like a grandmother to her. From Kahasi, Lacey is learning about their people, the Siksika Blackfoot tribe of Alberta, including the art of beadwork.

Lacey hears about a project to help grandmothers in Africa who are raising their grandchildren because their parents have died from AIDS. Even though Africa is far, far away, Lacey wants to help and emails the grandmothers with a plan to raise money by selling beaded purses.

What difference can a young Blackfoot girl from North America make in the lives of grandmothers in Africa? A lot, as Lacey discovers. Her decision to help will bring about amazing changes in her life and her community.

Lacey and the African Grandmothers is based on true events, real people, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

This is a Kids Power Book – our series inspired by real stories of young people who have taken action to make their lives, and their world, better.

Reviews
"This is a story of remarkable courage and initiative in a young person who wanted to help others less fortunate." — Canadian Teacher, January 2009

"Holler includes the wisdom of the elders as personified by Kahasi, Lacey’s grandmother. Reverence for the old ways, through such traditional crafts as beading and making moccasins, is also documented...It would make an excellent introduction to a study of children making a difference in the world, such as the ongoing work of Craig Kielburger." — CM Magazine, August 2010

Educator & Series Information
Recommended Ages: 9-12

Lacey and the African Grandmothers is a fictionalized story inspired by a true one.

Subjects:

• Character Education
  > Empathy
  > Strong Female Characters
• History & Social Studies
  > Global Cultures
  > Social Justice
• Reflecting Diversity
  > Cultural & Ethnic Diversity
  > First Nations & Indigenous Peoples

This book is part of the Kids' Power Series.

Additional Information
164 pages | 6.52" x 8.01"

Native peoples' connection with the drum, dances and masks is deeply rooted. From ancient times, in their Big Houses, Northwest Coast Native cultures have conducted ceremonies that included masks. This colouring book helps children understand these ancient traditions and honours the lives and dances of the indigenous people of the Northwest Coast.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"