Visual Picture Book

What letter does the word bee start with?
If you said "B" you're right – in English!
But in many, many languages, it actually starts with A.
Bee is Anū in Igbo,
Aamoo in Ojibwe,
Abelha in Portugese.
And Ari in Turkish.

Come and explore the gorgeous variations in the ways we talk about familiar things, unified and illuminated through Ellen Heck's eye-catching, graphic scratchboard details and hidden letterforms.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 9.

Includes some Indigenous words.

Additional Information
40 pages | 7.75 x 10.5 | Hardcover 

When the author learns of the death of her brother overseas, she embarks on a journey to bring him home. Through memories and dreams of all they shared together and through her Dene traditions, she finds comfort and strength. The lyrical art and story leave readers with a universal message of hope and love.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+ (Mature Picture Book)

In this emotional illustrated picture book, author and illustrator Lisa Boivin tells the story of the loss of her brother and the journey with her Dene traditions to find comfort and the strength to move on from her grief.

This book explores themes of death, memory, remembrance, comfort, and specifically Dene perspectives on death. 

The author's deeply personal story is revealed through exquisite artwork and text that are grounded in her family's Dene culture.

Lisa Boivin's experiences as an artist and bioethicist inform her story, expressed in the Indigenous way of passing knowledge through images.

Additional Information
56 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Colour illustrations throughout

Born in British Columbia, Tsimshian artist and mother Morgan Asoyuf makes her publishing debut with Black and White: Visual Stimulation for Babies.

Using familial crests as her artistic inspiration, this book of high-contrast images is designed to stimulate brain growth and visual development in young babies.

Author Statement
The crest system of the Pacific Northwest is what gave rise to the Northwest Coast art form. Crests depict the deeper story of our Peoples' familial ranks and migratory paths.

Beyond my personal interest in historical art and the processes that create it, I also care deeply about the forwarding of traditional Tsm'syen art and culture.

When my baby was one month old I wanted her to be able to look at black and white images from her Tsimhsian culture. As babies develop sight, they can best see high contrast images and patterns. Exposing them to black and white artwork stimulates brain growth and visual devleopment.

I spent two months developing my drawings and testing them on her. Interestingly, she had clear favourites and would be more excited for certain images.

Northwest art has a healing and mesmerizing effect for all ages and I believe viewing it from a young age will create a varied cognitive development.

What a wonderful way to introduce children to a lifetime of reading!

-- Morgan Asoyuf, Tsimshian

Additional Information
20 pages | 6.5" x 6.5"

Authenticity Note: Because this book is wordless, only the Authentic Indigenous Artwork label has been applied and no Text Content Territory has been assigned.  The story is told through images, though, which depict Tsimshian culture.

The children of the Tsimshian village of Kitkatla love to play at being hunters, eager for their turn to join the grown-ups. But when they capture and mistreat a crow, the Chief of the Heavens, angered at their disrespect, brings down a powerful storm.

The rain floods the Earth and villagers have no choice but to abandon their homes and flee to their canoes. As the seas rise, the villagers tie themselves to the top of Anchor Mountain, where they pray for days on end and promise to teach their children to value all life. The storm stops and the waters recede. From that point on, the villagers appoint a chief to perform the Peace Dance at every potlatch and, with it, pass on the story of the flood and the importance of respect.

With eighteen new illustrations from Roy Henry Vickers and exceptional narrative, Peace Dancer will delight readers of all ages and add to the collection of global flood stories.

Reviews
"Parents and teachers will enjoy sharing Peace Dancer with children. Highly recommended." — Dr. Gregory Bryan, CM Magazine, October 2016 

Additional Information
40 pages | 12.00" x 8.25"

Thousands of years ago in the village of Kitkatla, four hunters leave home in the spring to harvest seaweed and sockeye. When they arrive at their fishing grounds, exhaustion makes them lazy and they throw their anchor overboard without care for the damage it might do to marine life or the sea floor.

When Orca Chief discovers what the hunters have done, he sends his most powerful orca warriors to bring the men and their boat to his house. The men beg forgiveness for their ignorance and lack of respect, and Orca Chief compassionately sends them out with his pod to show them how to sustainably harvest the ocean’s resources.

Accompanied by almost exclusively new illustrations by Roy Henry Vickers, this next installment of the Northwest Coast Legends will captivate readers young and old with its vivid imagery and remarkable storytelling.

Educator & Series Information
Orca Chief is the third in a series of Northwest Coast legends by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd.

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"

Cloudwalker, describing the creation of the rivers, is the second in a series of Northwest Coast legends by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd. Their previous collaboration, Raven Brings the Light (2013), is a national bestseller.

On British Columbia's northwest coast lies the Sacred Headwaters--the source of three of British Columbia's largest salmon-bearing rivers. These rivers are the source of life for all creatures in the area. But what gave life to the rivers themselves?

Astace, a young Gitxsan hunter, is intent on catching a group of swans with his bare hands. He is carried away by the birds' powerful wings and dropped in the clouds. With only a cedar box of water Astace wanders the clouds, growing weaker, stumbling and spilling the contents. When he finally returns to earth he discovers lakes, creeks, and rivers where there were none before. The Gitxsan rejoice at having him home, and name the new river they live alongside Ksien--"juice from the clouds."

Roy Henry Vickers' vibrant artwork, including 18 new prints, accompany this new retelling of an ancient story--readers of all ages will be captivated.

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"

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

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

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"