Vocabulary Building

One bowhead whale! Two polar bears! Three orcas! Join Kuluk and Asa as they count all the animals they see! This introduction to counting and to Arctic animals helps young children develop their counting skills through short rhymes. It also introduces interesting collective nouns, like a blessing of narwhals and a bob of seals.

Reviews
"As a 1-10 counting book, Counting Arctic Animals works extremely well. While Apunnguaq Lynge’s superb illustrations are full of movement and action, she has not forgotten that each animal that is to be counted must be clearly differentiated. Highly Recommended"—CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 2 and under.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Board book

The creators of Raven, Rabbit, Deer are back with another thoughtful tale of a young boy and his grandfather taking a walk through the woods and all the creatures and plants they encounter.

Walking as “quiet as mice and rabbits and deer” they come upon fresh moose droppings and set out to find the moose itself. They discover the branches where the moose ate breakfast, greet a chipmunk and goose, and inspect rosehips and pussy willows, but the moose is nowhere to be found. Finally, after accepting that they will have to try again next time, the boy and his grandfather head home… only to be met with a big surprise.

In Finding Moose, Governor General’s Award-nominated author Sue Farrell Holler gives us a glimpse into the wondrous world of nature through the eyes of a curious child. Grandpa quietly encourages this curiosity while offering answers and further lessons where he can. Illustrator Jennifer Faria draws us in with gentle paintings that make us want to reach out and touch the scenery.

Reviews
“For a lovely early spring walk, learning about nature and being introduced to words in Ojibwemowin, join an Anishinaabe grandfather with his grandson to see how forest life reveals itself and search for an elusive mooz.”—CanLit for LittleCanadians

“Children will enjoy this simple story that introduces them to some of their forest neighbours whose names are in both English and Ojibwemowin. Highly recommended.”— Simcoe.com

“[T]his joyful book reinforces the need to listen, see, and be present in the woods so that the wonders of nature can unfold. The power of loving inter-generational relationships rests at the core of this simple story… The end result is a touching story that addresses important lessons at a time when environmental change is such a pressing concern.”—Children’s Literature

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

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

Shawna Davis invites the reader to explore each of the four seasons through her beautiful words and lush, unforgettable, beaded illustrations.

We begin in Gwooyim (Spring) when the Majagalee, the Sim Algyax word for “flower,” are just beginning to sprout. We then move on to Sint (Summer) when Grandmother Sun stays in the sky a bit longer. Next there is Xwsit (Fall), just as Summer begins to get sleepy, and Maadim (Winter) where the snow has fallen and the freezer is full.

This is a story of nature, its importance to our lives, and why it must be cared for and respected.

Toonasa Jordana Luggi’s lovely, rich, and nearly tactile photographs are the perfect complement to Shawna’s hand-beaded artwork and wonderful, hand-cut paper backgrounds.

Includes Pronunciation Guides.

Reviews
“...simple, evocative poetry is culturally specific, rooted in a deep love of the land and the people around her but it’s also relatable to readers of different backgrounds. The lyrical verse in Majagalee makes it an ideal read-aloud book.... Majagalee is an elevated concept book. It introduces readers to the seasons, the plants and animals of the Northwest Coast, Sim Algyax, Indigenous art, and the importance of all these things to Gitksan culture. Despite its apparent simplicity, Majagalee is a complex and brilliantly constructed book. It will appeal to Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike, and for teachers and parents, it serves as an outstanding example of a book that demonstrates the ongoing presence and beauty of Indigenous cultures in what is now known as Canada..” – Quill & Quire, starred review

Educator Information
Juvenile Fiction. This picture book explores the four seasons on the northwest coast of what is currently British Columbia from a Gitksan perspective.

Additional information
Pages: 40 

One, two, three. Blue, red, orange. I have ten painted fingernails! Count along with me as we learn the name of each different nail colour.

Filled with adorable illustrations packed with splashes of colour, this vibrant bilingual storybook is perfect for practicing counting over and over again!

Educator & Series Information
This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Recommended for ages 3 and under.

Bilingual: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
26 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Board Book

It’s Papatsie’s birthday, and her parents have a big surprise for her. She and her best friend Ashley will be going on a scavenger hunt! Follow along as Ashley and Papatsie find clues hidden in familiar spots in their community, which eventually lead them to a birthday surprise. Woven into the clues are examples of positional language and simple shapes. This helps children build early math skills through an engaging story.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Includes many examples of positional language and simple shapes.  These help children build early math skills through an engaging story.

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

With crisp, luminous illustrations by celebrated Indigenous artist Roy Henry Vickers, and a simple rythmic text, this sturdy board book introduces the alphabet using iconic imagery of the West Coast, creating a book that will be cherished by young readers and their families.

Starting with colourful sea anemones waving in the ocean current, and closing with a snoozing grizzly bear (Zzz), this board book supports both early literacy and children's awareness of the natural world.

Publishers Weekly described Vicker’s previous collaboration with Robert Budd as “a gorgeous glimpse of the distinctive landscapes and creatures of the Northwest, [that] will enchant residents and nonlocals alike.”

Educator & Series Information
This book is a part of the First West Coast Books series.

Recommended for ages 3 and under.

Key Topics / Concepts: ABCs, Alphabet, West Coast, Indigenous, Canadian, Earth Sciences, Water, Literacy Development, Early Learners, Indigenous Artwork.

Additional Information
28 pages | 7.25" x 5.00" | Boardbook

A beautifully illustrated, compact, interactive nature guide to exploring the forest for young readers.

What do you notice when you walk in the forest? Different types of trees, plants, and mushrooms? Maybe you hear a squirrel chattering or birds singing. Can you feel all the different kinds of moss? And look there! Hidden animal homes and interesting bugs.

With this compact non-fiction guide, young readers will be equipped to seek out, identify, and appreciate the woodland magic that exists all around them. Featuring rich vocabulary words like "nurse log," "lichen," and "sapling," this beautifully illustrated book is the ideal companion for little forest explorers. Incorporating all five senses and encouraging imaginative play, it even includes pixies and fairies (pixie cup lichen and fairy slipper wildflowers)! Forest Magic will be the book you reach for on the way out the door to explore your own backyard.

There's so much to see in a forest. What will you discover?

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This book is part of the Little Explorers Series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 6.50"

What can you see? Practise your Inuktut sounds and find the hidden syllabics in the illustrations. Each page features an illustration of a word that begins with the hidden syllabic.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Dual-language: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
16 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Board Book

Muskrat takes the children through all the many fish that live in the water of the Okanagan valley.

kəxntim sʕanixʷ k̕əl nixʷtitkʷ acxʷəl̕xʷalt / We Go With Muskrat to Those Living Underwater is an interactive story with sʕanixʷ (Muskrat) in the lead, allowing readers to learn both the n’syilxwcn and English names of underwater creatures living in the Okanagan Valley. The book seamlessly combines beautiful imagery with amusing descriptions as Muskrat introduces a diverse set of underwater creatures.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Author Harron Hall has written several children's books that incorporate her Indigenous heritage and her deep commitment to protecting the land and water, including The Water Sings to Suli?, Water Changeling and Lessons from Beaver's Work.

Learn the names of many fish and aquatic creatures that live in the Okanagan Valley in n’syilxwcn (the language spoken by the Sylix/Okanagan peoples) and English.

Features bright and colorful illustrations from Indigenous artist Ron Hall.

This book is part of the Follow the Water series.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Beaver shares his teachings on how he shapes the land.

kʷu‿c̕əx̌ʷəntim təl stunx isck’ʷuls / Lessons From Beaver’s Work teaches children through storytelling to hold reverence for all life forms. The book depicts a conflict between Tapit, a rancher, and stunx (beaver), as they both try to meet their water needs. The touching humanity of stunx (Beaver) softens Tapit’s outlook, as he reminds Tapit that he is not the only one that depends on water.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 10 to 13.

Author Harron Hall has written several children's books that incorporate her Indigenous heritage and her deep commitment to protecting the land and water, including The Water Sings to Suli?, Water Changeling and We Go with Muskrat to Those Living Underwater.

This fictional story teaches the importance of watersheds and protecting our water systems.

Includes words in n'syilxwcn, the language spoken by the Sylix/Okanagan peoples.

This book is part of the Follow the Water series.

Additional Information
26 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Meg and Greg are on summer holidays and are off on a series of adventures around their neighborhood, along with some four-legged companions. The two friends pull off a bake sale despite back-to-back disasters in the preparations, save the day for Greg’s mom when her ballet studio floods, rescue the neighbor's dog after he slips down a slope into a cove, and discover a lost cat with newborn kittens sheltering in a dangerous spot in the garden. So sit down and cozy up for another Meg and Greg adventure, this one focusing on: a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, and u-e.

Educator Information
Meg and Greg: The Bake Sale is the third book in the Orca Two Read series, designed for shared reading between a child learning to or struggling to read and an experienced reader, following Frank and the Skunk and Duck in a Sock. All of the stories have special features to help a child with dyslexia or another language-based learning difficulty find reading success.

Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Themes: early chapter books, dyslexia, learning differences, animal adventures, beginner readers.

A downloadable resource pack is available: Resource Pack - Meg and Greg: The Bake Sale

Additional Information
160 pages | 5.87" x 8.25" | b&w illustrations

In this charming picture book allegory of the creative writing process, happenstance and weather events symbolize the emotional ebb and flow of writing a poem.

I had a poem in my pocket,
but my pocket got a rip.
Rhymes tumbled down my leg
and trickled from my hip.

Thus begins the journey of a young poet's words out into the world, where they join randomly with other words to form funny riffs and puns all over a busy city street. The child scrambles to capture the loose words and arrange them back into poem form, only to lose them again as a storm swoops in on a rushing wind. Eventually, the words plant themselves in the muddy ground, where they grow into something that might be even better than the original poem: a Poet-Tree.

Not only a fanciful rhyming adventure tale, Chris Tougas's picture book is also a delightful allegory for the creative writing process. Perfect for classroom discussions about the emotional ups and downs of writing, this highly innovative book celebrating poetry and creativity is an excellent choice for National Poetry Month. It also showcases the magic of language and how much fun words can be. High-energy artwork by Josée Bisaillon is so full of words in flight and at play that children can pore over it again and again, and in the final spread, readers can search for rhyming pairs. An afterword discusses National Poetry Month and Poem in Your Pocket Day. This is a book that adult writers will also appreciate.

Reviews
"This is a whimsical, rhyming story that gives expression to the long frustration and toil that's often part of the artistic process." —Booklist

"This book about wordplay strikes the write balance between silly and sincere."—Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

Lexile Code: Adult Directed 
Lexile Level: 570

Additional Information
24 pages | 9.15" x 10.35" | Hardcover 

The journey and transformation of water from the tops of the mountains down through the rivers and streams, told from a Syilx perspective.

skɬp’lk’mitkw / Water Changeling is the story of the natural water cycle from a Syilx traditional ecological knowledge perspective. The story features a water girl named skɬp’lk’mitkw who longs to visit with her grandparents. She receives help from newfound friends who change her into rain, hail and snow so she can reach her grandparents.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 7 to 10.

Author Harron Hall has written several children's books that incorporate her Indigenous heritage and her deep commitment to protecting the land and water, including The Water Sings to Suli?, We Go with Muskrat to Those Living Underwater and Lessons from Beaver's Work.

Learn about the water cycle using the n'syilxcen (the language spoken by the Sylix/Okanagan peoples) and English languages.  This book includes some words in n'syilxcen, but it is not a dual-language resource.

Learn about the water cycle through a fictional story.

This book is part of the Follow the Water series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

When you go for a walk in nature, who do you see? What do you hear?

Award-winning storyteller Nicola I. Campbell shows what it means “to stand like a cedar” on this beautiful journey of discovery through the wilderness. Learn the names of animals in the Nłe7kepmxcín or Halq’emeylem languages as well as the teachings they have for us. Experience a celebration of sustainability and connection to the land through lyrical storytelling and Carrielynn Victor’s breathtaking art in this children’s illustrated book.

Discover new sights and sounds with every read.

Reviews
"Stand Like a Cedar is a work of grace and dignity, a celebration of land, family, and knowing who you are and where you come from and being so grateful for everything you’ve been given. Bravo, Nicola Campbell and Carrielynn Victor for creating this treasure. I love it."—Richard Van Camp, author of Little You and A Blanket of Butterflies

"Campbell’s rhythmic writing is wonderful, conveying important messages about the environment and family. Victor’s vibrant renderings accompany the engaging text nicely. Bold illustrations portray elements such as weather, nature, and animals alongside evocative details like glowing skylines. An Indigenous girl shares vivid lessons in this lovely, thoughtful environmental tale." —Kirkus Reviews

"Stand Like a Cedar is a story that connects the journey of building connections through a journey in the wilderness. Through the blended use of the Nłeʔkepmxcín and Halq'emeylem languages, readers are exposed to the healing that takes place in nature. The lyrical storytelling celebrates the healing and strength that comes from building one’s connections to their own journey." - The Dalai Lama Center

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Learn the names of animals in the Nłe7kepmxcín or Halq’emeylem languages as well as the teachings they have for us.

Includes a glossary of phrases and a translation guide.

Includes a page of back matter on Coastal and Interior Salish Languages.

This book is available in French: Debout comme un grand cedre

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.12" x 7.75"

Let's count what we see as we walk on the tundra! Based on a song by award-winning Inuktitut singer and songwriter Looee Arreak, this book invites children to sing along as they count the animals they see on the tundra.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 and under.

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Dual-language in English and Inuktitut. 

Additional Information
28 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Boardbook