First Nations

Morning Song is a Cree girl who lives on a reserve. She does not like to eat vegetables because she thinks they are not important and do not taste good. One day, she goes on a walk and stumbles upon a magic garden where vegetables can talk. Morning Song meets carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, pumpkins and other vegetables which explain her why each of them is an important part of a healthy diet. The book teaches children about the importance of eating healthy and living a happy and active lifestyle.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
26 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Paperback

“We need to be careful that we don’t hurt the gifts that are given to us.” Told in Plains Cree, Saulteaux, and English, this simple tale of traditional teachings and values follows a grandparent and grandchild on a visit to a chokecherry patch, where lessons about respect and gratitude for the earth’s gifts are shared.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3+

Triple-language format: Plains Cree, Saulteaux, and English.

An afterword includes a Saulteaux and Plains Cree pronunciation guide.

Additional Information
40 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover

Noodin had their perfect day planned - until surprise babysitting interrupts their plans and sends them on an urban adventure!

When Noodin's perfect day is interrupted, they decide to strike out for adventure instead - spending the day with their human, animal, and tree cousins in the city. But will Noodin ever get the pancakes they're craving? Come along and find out!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Noodin is a nonbinary urban Indigenous kid.

Themes: Urban Indigenous, Modern Family, Cousins, Babysitting, Adventure, Divorced Parents

Additional Information
28 pages | 10.75" x 8.25" | Paperback

Oolichan Moon is a beautifully illustrated children’s book about passing down traditional knowledge from Nisga'a Elders and the sacredness of traditional foods, particularly the oolichan fish.

Together, author Samantha Beynon and illustrator Lucy Trimble have created a children’s book rich with cultural knowledge and tradition that relates to their Nisga'a ancestry surrounding the oolichan fish.

With playful text and vibrant illustrations, young readers can learn alongside the two Nisga'a sisters as they are gifted with sacred knowledge from their Elders, passed down for many generations in the oral tradition.

A gorgeous celebration of Nisga'a language, history and culture, Oolichan Moon also includes historical and cultural information about the oolichan fish and related Nisga'a vocabulary.

Awards

• 2023 Indigenous Voices Awards Winner: Published Graphic Novels, Comics and Illustrated Books

Reviews
"Oolichan Moon is a wonderful story with such simple teachings for all of us. The oolichan were so important for many people of the rivers. The long winter is over, and Spring is here and so too the oolichans return to feed and provide for the people. Today, we still fish for the Oolichan but like most fish of the river their numbers are low. This story teaches all of us that we must only take what is needed and that we should always give something back. This is survival. This is the teaching." — Joseph Dandurand, storyteller and author of A Magical Sturgeon and The Sasquatch, the Fire

"Samantha Beynon and Lucy Trimble have created a beautiful, heart-warming story featuring a nutritious and iconic little fish of the Northwest Coast. Since time immemorial, oulachens have served as a food and esteemed condiment for the Nisga’a Peoples of the Nass Valley and for many other coastal First Nations from Alaska to the Columbia River. Through the delightful teachings of wise and kind grandparents, the granddaughters—and we, as readers—are able to learn about oulachens and their immense cultural value. We learn how and when they are caught, and how they are prepared, and especially how they are rendered into a nutrient-rich and highly valued oil. At the same time, we experience “history, laughter, and love,” and gain insights into the deep and lasting relationships that Indigenous Peoples have developed with the fish and other species of their homelands and how children and youth are taught about these profound connections. The illustrations are stunning." — Nancy Turner, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria, and author of Plants of Haida Gwaii

“I had a little tear welling up in my eye as I thought how cool it will be for kids to be reading about part of their culture. This kind of story is long overdue and badly needed. I hope it is the first of many.” — Edward Desson, fisheries manager, Nisga’a Fisheries and Wildlife, Nisga’a Lisims Government

"Packed with traditional knowledge, family values and deep wisdom, this story instantly transports you to a timeless place! Like visiting with family, you can feel strength and warmth beaming from each page." — Lucky Budd, author of Peace Dancer and One Eagle Soaring

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

This is the first book in the Sisters Learn Foods of the Elders series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover

A powerful story about the importance of family acceptance.

Phoenix loves to play with dolls and marvel at pretty fabrics. Most of all, he loves to dance—ballet, Pow Wow dancing, or just swirling and twirling around his house. Sometimes Phoenix gets picked on and he struggles with feeling different, but his mom and brother are proud of him. With their help, Phoenix learns about Two Spirit/Niizh Manidoowag people in Anishinaabe culture and just how special he is.

Based on the childhood experiences of her son, Phoenix, Marty Wilson-Trudeau demonstrates the difference that a loving and supportive family can make.

Reviews
"Phoenix Gets Greater is a timely and necessary addition to our collective Two-Spirit stories! Its collaboration between mother and son, its engrossing color palettes that reflect Anishinaabe acceptance and wholeness, and its charming, swirling protagonist make for a story that should be shared with all of our children. Broaching the vast topic of Two-Spirit identities, Marty Wilson-Trudeau and Phoenix Wilson have made a book I wish I had when I was a kid—the wonders this book will do for our Indigenous and/or queer youth!"—Joshua Whitehead, award-winning author of Jonny Appleseed

"Bright and engaging illustrations shine with the joy of Phoenix and those who love him feel when he is his authentic self. This is a sweet appreciation of a queer child—and how his Anishinaabe culture celebrates him and Niizh Manidoowag, Two Spirit people who have both boy and girl spirits."— Tegan Tigani from Queen Anne Books (Seattle, WA)

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Subjects: Character Education; Family & Friendship; Self-Esteem; Courage; Prejudice & Tolerance; Reflecting Diversity; LGBTQ; First Nations & Indigenous Peoples.

This book is available in a dual-language format (Ojibwe / English): Phoenix ani’ Gichichi-i’/Phoenix Gets Greater

This book is available in French: Phoenix le merveilleux 

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Hardcover

This lovely story is based on an Algonquin story. A young blue jay finds himself blown and battered by a terrible storm. Injured and alone, he asks for shelter from the trees but is turned away gruffly by the maple and other trees. Too tired and in danger of being overcome by his injuries, Pineshish finds himself falling, falling, falling...only to fall into the welcoming arms of the fir tree - with unexpected consequences to the other trees. Originally published in French, this is the first English edition.

Reviews

“When Pineshish, a blue jay, is injured in a storm, only the generous fir tree offers him shelter and comfort. The birch tree and maple tree both refused him and in payment for their lack of compassion, the hardwoods lose their leaves that fall. Mother Nature punished deciduous trees for being selfish and heartless, so the story goes.” - Canadian Children’s Books Centre Spring Best Books Spring 2024 starred review

Educator Information
An Algonquin story about how deciduous trees came to lose their leaves.

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

Every summer, a Haida girl and her family travel up the Yakoun River on Haida Gwaii, following the salmon. While their father fishes, the girl and her brother spend their time on the land playing and learning from Tsinii (Grandfather).

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is part of the Sk'ad'a Stories series.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.12" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

“Elders say they were always here. The horses were small, but strong.”
“Like me?”
“Like you.”

As they await the birth of a new foal, a man teaches his grandchild about the Ojibwe Horses that used to roam the forests of northwestern Ontario. The horses once ran wild and free, but when Grandfather was a boy, they almost disappeared. Now he is the caretaker of his own small herd, keeping the breed alive for future generations and teaching his grandchild about the loving bond between human and animals.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is available in a dual-language format: Wiijibibamatoon Anangoonan/Runs with the Stars

Subjects: Character Education; Family & Friendship; History & Social Studies; Canadian History; First Nations & Indigenous Peoples; Science; Environmentalism; Conservation and stewardship; Reflecting Diversity

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Hardcover 

A modern story of traditional Indigenous knowledge that follows a young boy and his Auntie as they gather and braid sweetgrass, one of the four sacred medicines.

It's early July, and for Matthew and his Auntie that means one thing: time to go sweetgrass picking. This year, Matthew's younger cousin Warren is coming along, and it will be his first time visiting the shoreline where the sweetgrass grows.

With Auntie's traditional Mi'kmaw knowledge and Matthew's gentle guidance, Warren learns about the many uses for sweetgrass—as traditional medicine, a sacred offering, a smudging ingredient—and the importance of not picking more than he needs. Once the trio is back at Auntie's house, she shows the boys how to clean and braid the grass.

From the duo behind the bestsellers The Gathering and The Sharing Circle, this heartfelt story about the gifts we receive from Mother Earth and how to gather them respectfully offers thoughtful insight into a treasured Mi'kmaw tradition.

Sweetgrass grows in wet meadows, low prairies, and the edges of sloughs and marshes. It grows from Labrador to Alaska, south to New Jersey, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, and Arizona. Widely used by North American Indigenous Peoples from many different Nations, it is also considered one of the "four sacred medicines" by many Plains Indians.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

This book is part of the Indigenous Knowledge Series.

This book is available in French: Foin d'odeur

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 8.00" | Paperback

What does it mean to be Mi’kmaq? And if Swift Fox can’t find the answer, will she ever feel like part of her family?

When Swift Fox’s father picks her up to go visit her aunties, uncles, and cousins, her belly is already full of butterflies. And when he tells her that today is the day that she’ll learn how to be Mi’kmaq, the butterflies grow even bigger. Though her father reassures her that Mi’kmaq is who she is from her eyes to her toes, Swift Fox doesn’t understand what that means. Her family welcomes her with smiles and hugs, but when it’s time to smudge and everyone else knows how, Swift Fox feels even more like she doesn’t belong.

Then she meets her cousin Sully and realizes that she’s not the only one who’s unsure—and she may even be the one to teach him something about what being Mi’kmaq means. Based on the author’s own experience, with striking illustrations by Maya McKibbin, Swift Fox All Along is a poignant story about identity and belonging that is at once personal and universally resonant.

Reviews
“A touching and universal narrative . . . This title should definitely be added to any list of recommended children’s books focused on Indigenous life, family, tradition, feelings, anxiety, fear and self-regulation. Swift Fox All Along is also brimming with cross-curricular applications for school use, including incorporation with science, social studies, history, language, and mental health. Highly Recommended.” — CM Reviews

“Highlights the importance of connections to culture and self.”  — Kirkus Reviews, 07/28/20

"This is a straightforward tale of a girl finding her way into a culture that is her heritage, yet new to her. As such, it works effectively. This may suit libraries in need of more modern ­Native picture books with child appeal.” — School Library Journal, 08/20

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

Own voices: Illustrator Maya McKibbin is a two-spirited Yaqui, Ojibwe and Irish. Author Rebecca Thomas is an award-winning Mi’kmaw poet. The story is deeply personal. Rebecca is of mixed heritage and grew up off-reserve and was 6 years old before she began getting to know her father. Her dad himself attended a residential school and had lost connection with his culture and language. This was something regained later with wider visits to his home community and wanted to share with his children. 

Important themes: the Indigenous story is full of universal themes including family, connection, identity and self-acceptance.

This book is available in French: Wowgwis de la tête aux pieds

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.00" x 10.25" | Paperback

With the wizened old chief set to step down, young Linny dreams of being chosen as his replacement. As she struggles to pass his test, Linny learns with the help of her family what it really takes to become chief...in the most unexpected way.

This story is told with the help of traditional corn husk dolls. Corn dolls protect the home, livestock, and personal wellness of the maker and their family. Corn husk dolls have been made in some Indigenous cultures since the beginning of corn agriculture more than one thousand years ago, and continue to be made today.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 10.

Empowers young girls to pursue their dreams, especially in terms of pushing traditionally male-dominated roles.

The story keeps the readers' attention with its rhythm and rhyme. 

Offers a unique perspective on positive growth mindset and developing leadership skills.

Author is an approved educational facilitator and works as an Indigenous Mentor and Storyteller in schools.

Find a teacher lesson plan here: The Corn Chief Teacher Lesson Plan

This book is available in French: Le chef du mais

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover

I don’t recall seeing books when I was a little boy. But the old people, they grew up listening to stories. And so, every night, when the old people were done their evening prayers, they would sit and they would tell us stories too.

At the time of the spring thaw, the Rocky Cree fill their canoes with furs, eager to trade with the new visitors in mistiwāsahak (Hudson Bay). But not all of the new visitors are welcome.

When the canoes return home to the shores of the misinipī river, the Rocky Cree begin to collapse one by one, drenched in sweat and slowly slipping into delirium. Kākakiw struggles to help the sick as more and more people pass into the spirit world. Exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually, he seeks guidance through prayer.

Hope finally comes with a visitor in the night: one of the Little People, small beings who are just like us. If Kākakiw can journey to their home, he will be given the medicine his people need. All he has to do is paddle through a cliff of solid bedrock to get there.

To save his people from certain death, Kākakiw must overcome doubt to follow the traditional teachings of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak and trust in the gift of the Little People.

In this illustrated short story for all ages, celebrated Rocky Cree storyteller William Dumas shares a teaching about hope in the face of adversity. This book is a companion story to The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series.

Reviews
"A tale rich with warmth and wonder that not only documents traditions but carries them on." — David A. Robertson, author The Barren Grounds

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 11.

Reading Level: Lexile® Framework for Reading: 870L

This book is a companion story to The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series. This series is about the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak (Rocky Cree) of Northern Manitoba. Corresponding to the six seasons of sīkwan (spring), nīpin (summer), takwakin (fall), mikiskow (freeze-up), pipon (winter), and mithoskamin (break-up), the books explore the language, culture, knowledge, territory, and history of the 17th century Rocky Cree people through story and images. The groundbreaking series centres Indigenous ways of knowing and includes insights from a wide range of disciplines—cross-cultural education, history, archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, literature, oral culture and storytelling, experiential and community-based learning, and art.

Contains some Cree language/words, and a glossary of them.

Additional Information
48 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

The Sweat Lodge teachings of the Anishinaabe are an important influence on the daily lives of the people. Full of symbolism, interconnected one with another, they are not as uncomplicated as they might seem.

The Little Boy's Vision Quest is one of those teachings and it reveals how the Sweat Lodge was brought to the people. Anishinaabe author James Whetung has crafted a crisp, clear telling while retaining the cadence of its oral beginnings. Paintings by Paul Morin evoke the crackle of fire, the scent of cedar, the mysterious dark side of the moon.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.99" x 10.50" | Paperback

In this beautifully illustrated book, a determined young Anishnaabe girl in search of adventure goes on a transformative journey into a forest on her traditional territory. She is joined by a chorus of her ancestors in red dresses, who tell her they remember what it was like to be carefree and wild, too. Soon, though, the girl is challenged by a monster named Hate, who envelops her in a cloud of darkness. She climbs a mountain to evade the monster, and, with the help of her matriarchs and the power of Thunderbird, the monster is held at bay. Together the young girl and her ancestors beat their drums in song and support, giving the girl the confidence she needs to become a changemaker in the future, capable of fending off any monster in her way.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

Little Wolf, grown up with children of her own, moves to the country where her mother, White Raven, shares a sad story from her childhood.

All grown up with a family of her own, Little Wolf moves from the big city to the island of her ancestors. She wants to share the beauty and mysteries of nature with her children, and she wants them to learn as much about their culture as possible. One day, Little Wolf’s mother, White Raven, visits and begins to tell her grandchildren stories from her own childhood. But the stories are not happy ones. As a child, White Raven left her family to attend St. Michael’s Residential School in Alert Bay, BC. While there, she experienced hunger, loneliness, shame, and isolation from her language and her culture. Even years later, as a grown woman and Elder, she has nightmares about her time at the school. But by sharing her story with Little Wolf and her grandchildren, White Raven begins to heal and brings the family closer together. Through simple, heartfelt text and vivid illustrations that combine contemporary and traditional Indigenous motifs, White Raven is an engaging teaching tool as well as a relatable narrative about the impact of intergenerational trauma on families. Based on the author’s own life and her mother’s residential school experience, the central message of this book is one of healing and family unity.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This is the second book in the Little Wolf trilogy. 

This book is available in French: Corbeau Blanc

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Paperback