Bedtime Stories

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
“Comforting, encouraging sentiments that adult readers and their little ones will appreciate.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Grimard’s artwork along with Gray Smith’s messages of hope create a synergy and context…Together they successfully teach intangible moments.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"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.

Dual-language format: English and Plains Cree.

This book is available in English only: I Hope

This book is available in French: J'espère

Cree translation by Dolores Greyeyes Sand.

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

Nadia Sammurtok lovingly invites the reader into the amautik—the pouch in the back of a mother’s parka used to carry a child—to experience everything through the eyes of the baby nestled inside, from the cloudlike softness of the pouch to the glistening sound of Anaana’s laughter.

Sweet and soothing, this book offers a unique perspective that will charm readers of all ages.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 and under.

Additional Information
24 pages | 7.50" x 7.50" | Board book

From the popular series that launched with Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book comes a book with peek-through holes that show the moon's different phases with each turn of the page.

Over deserts and forests, Arctic tundra and tropical beaches, the moon shines down on creatures around the world. Children will love discovering how it changes from day to day as the lunar cycle is shown through clever peek-through holes, each revealing the moon in a different size and shape.

It's the perfect light nonfiction book for young stargazers—and an ideal bedtime book, ending with a giant moon hovering over a sleepy town hunkered down for bed.

Educator Information
For ages 3 and under.

Concepts: Seasons, Science, Nature, Astronomy.

Additional Information
26 pages | 6.13" x 7.56" | Board book

“Panik, do you know how much I love you? When I look at the horizon, past the vast tundra, I see no end. That is how much I love you.”

In this lovingly told book, a mother recounts for her daughter all the things she loves about her, connecting each attribute to an element of the Arctic landscape or Inuit traditional life. As her daughter’s eyes glisten like the fire of a seal oil lamp, and her courage shines bright like buds of purple saxifrage fighting through a thick blanket of snow, the mother weaves a beautiful narrative of connection and love that will warm the hearts of all readers.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
24 pages | 9.50" x 8.50" | Hardcover

An exuberant celebration of the Buffalo’s return to the wild.

Since Declan was born, his kokum has shared her love of Buffalo through stories and art. But Declan longs to see real Buffalo. Then one magical night, herds of the majestic creatures stampede down from the sky. That’s when things really get wild!

Azby Whitecalf’s playful illustrations add to the joy and reverence in Deidre Havrelock’s picture book debut. A reprinting of the Buffalo Treaty and an author’s note describe the importance of Buffalo to Indigenous Peoples and efforts to revitalize the species.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

Additional Information
36 pages | 11.00" x 9.50" | Hardcover

Richly illustrated and lovingly told, this book is a warm and inviting read, perfect for sharing with any little one. Bowhead whales are the longest-living mammals on the planet, living over 200 years. In this heartwarming story, a grandfather bowhead recounts to his young grandchild calf all the beautiful, amazing, and surprising things he has seen in his lifetime, all while assuring the little calf that there is nothing more wondrous than the love a grandfather has for his grandchild.

Reviews
"Together with painterly illustrations in monochromatic blues of the ocean, this underwater tale shows the wondrous love of a grandparent for his grandchild...Tender words of affection are perfect for sharing with any young child or grandchild."—Kirkus

"The expansive illustrations, awash in marine blues and greens, capture the drama and majesty of the Arctic while also showcasing the tender relationship between the whales. A lovely choice for preschool storytimes."—Booklist

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 0 to 3.

Includes an Inuktitut pronunciation guide and fun facts about bowhead whales.

Themes: Indigenous, baby whale, bedtime book, Arctic, Iqaluit

Additional Information
28 pages | 9.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover

It's bedtime for baby ptarmigan, but he will not go to sleep. So his grandmother decides to tell him a bedtime story that he will never forget.

With delightful illustrations by Qin Leng, this nursery rhyme–inspired rendition of a traditional Inuit origin tale is perfect for the youngest of children.

Published for the first time as a board book under the Inhabit Junior imprint, this book is perfect for the smallest of hands.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 2 and under.

Additional Information
28 pages | 7.00" x 7.00" | Board Book

Yu-Rhee, a young Korean girl, wants to know how to tell time using a clock. Her mother tells her a tale from her childhood based on the traditional Korean practice of timekeeping, where the 12 animals of the zodiac are assigned to 2-hour sections of the 24-hour clock. Told from the point of view of a mountain, the story follows a child as they climb the mountainside in search of a plant to heal their ailing mother. The climb is steep, the path wild and the way difficult. The mountain watches the child struggle and calls on the animals that live on the mountainside to help the child, but as sunlight turns to moonlight, each animal claims to be too busy. Ultimately, Once Upon an Hour is a story about determination and teamwork that shows young readers the importance of helping others.

Reviews
“A curious premise with captivating illustrations.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The repetitive text here is soothing in cadence...Pleasing colours, and the winsome expressions on the face of the hopeful child make readers sympathetic to the situation.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“Illustrations which are inexplicably special…The timeless and universal message of helping others will resonate with listeners of this story whether young or old. This book needs to be part of an elementary school library as well as pre-school and home libraries. By using animals who are active at different times of the day to teach the concept of time, this folktale is especially memorable as well as useful.” — Must Read Literature

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Theme / Subjects: Animals, Time, Zodiac, Timekeeping, Traditional Korean Practices, Determination, Teamwork, Helping Others, Family, Plant Medicine.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 10.75" | Hardcover

This evocative picture book celebrates a child’s connection and kinship with whales. 

Swimming, singing, and blowing bubbles—children and baby whales love many of the same things! This lyrical picture book compares the parent-child relationship with the bond between a mother humpback whale and her calf, showing how their underwater lives are touchingly like our own. Patterned in a call-and-response format, where the mother observes and the child responds, this book is peppered with facts and begs to be read aloud before bedtime. At the story’s end, acclaimed author Beryl Young and debut illustrator Sakika Kikuchi leave readers gently falling asleep, dreaming of the wonderful world we share with whales.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Explores how we are similar to humpback whales in a charming and thoughtful way that helps children better understand the natural world and their place in it. 

Encourages connection to the natural world. Facts about Humpback whales are woven throughout the text.

Supports curriculum related to ecosystems and webs of life for grades 2-3

Guided Reading Level: M

Common Core State Standards
RL.2.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9
W.2.1,2,3,5,6,8
SL.2.1,1a,1b,1c,2,3,4,5,6
L.2.1,1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,2,2a,2b,2c,2d,2e,3,4,4a,4b,4c,4d,4e,5,5a,5b,6

Next Generation Science Standards
2-LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 11.00"

Rendered with reassuring words and pastoral scenes, this soothing lullaby of a story is sure to settle even the most restless of cubs.

Mouse is rushing to her nest.
In soft, dry grasses she will rest.

Geese are calling, a chilly wind is blowing, and the sky is turning gray. Winter is on its way. For Mama Bear and Small Bear, that means it’s time to tuck into their den for a long sleep. But Mouse is scurrying by, and Chipmunk is still gathering nuts beside the lake. And look at Hare and Skunk, still romping through the leaves! Why can’t Small Bear stay up, too? To each question, Mama Bear responds with the coziest of answers, finally painting a dreamy picture of the brightening colors and new adventures that will greet Small Bear in the spring. But first comes sleep, in this irresistible invitation to drowsy little cubs everywhere.

Reviews
"This soft, reassuring tale is ideal for teaching seasonal changes as well as the need for transitions." —School Library Journal

"Simple, quiet illustrations executed in a soft, elegant, swirling style trace the transition from tawny autumn’s bareness to early winter’s silvery wonderland. . . . Reassuring, inviting bedtime fare."—Kirkus Reviews

"It’s a book to prepare children for bed, but it’s also a guide to enjoying rest while reflecting upon past or future adventures."—WORLD Magazine

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8

Subjects: Animals; Bedtime & Dreams; Science & Nature; Hibernation; Bears

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.94" x 10.56" | Hardcover

An innovative retelling of the classic Christmas tale, this full-color book takes a whimsical look at what Christmas Eve might be like for a Native American family when Old Red Shirt comes a-calling with his team of flying white buffalo to deliver fry bread, commodities, and other goodies. Renowned Cherokee artist Jesse Hummingbird's inspired illustrations transform the author's playful adaptation into a fresh and modern work of art.

Reviews
“For a child, the poem presents an old story in a new light, complete with a Native Santa clad in buckskins, beadwork and carrying a medicine bundle. If that's not tradition, I don't know what is. As for the adults sharing the story, this is a poem that will at the very least, make you smile.” — The Circle News

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Themes / Keywords: Christmas; Holidays; Native American; Celebrations; Lyrical; Poetry; Traditions.

Additional Information
40 pages | 11.75" x 8.25" | Hardcover

Nadia Sammurtok lovingly invites the reader into the amautik—the pouch in the back of a mother’s parka used to carry a child—to experience everything through the eyes of the baby nestled inside, from the cloudlike softness of the pouch to the glistening sound of Anaana’s laughter.

Sweet and soothing, this book offers a unique perspective that will charm readers of all ages.

Reviews
"Each spread appeals to a different sense, creating a deliciously cozy and nurturing microenvironment for this lucky tot. Inuit author and educator Sammurtok brings her work preserving Inuktitut to the text, with a spare sprinkling of vocabulary (defined in a closing glossary). The repetition of “In my anaana’s amautik” at the beginning of each short paragraph is both lulling and reinforcing of the relationship between child and mother. Canadian illustrator Lishchenko’s use of textures and subtle colors blends well with the strong, simple text. Delicate pastels give the Arctic landscape a welcoming beauty, and fanciful depictions of the similes the narrator suggests lend a playful air. The far north has never felt so deliciously warm." — Kirkus, STARRED review

"This gentle story is warm, cozy, and loving—just like being in anaana’s amautik. Readers will carry this gorgeous book close to their hearts." — School Library Journal, STARRED review

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 and under.

Additional Information
24 pages | 9.00" x 9.00"

In the sky at nighttime the northern lights dance, a mothers song sways on the breeze, and a raven roosts atop a tall building, bathed in the white of the moon. 

This lyrical poem sends readers sailing through the Arctic night sky to see and hear the unique beauty of a Northern night. 

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 and under.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

A young child skates, bakes, and milks the cow while the moon wondrously transforms above. When they walk through the woods with their skates, the moon is a frozen pond. When they tend the cow, the moon is the milk at the bottom of the pail.

Stunning illustrations by Josée Bisaillon capture how imagination shapes the environment around us. This simple board book shows children that the way they see the world—by heart, mind and imagination—is just right. Reveling in metaphor, The Moon Is a Silver Pond encourages that magical leap of imagination and asks the reader to look at everyday objects from a different perspective.

Educator Information
Themes: metaphor, figurative language, observation, point of view, child's perspective

This book is available in French as a hardcover book: La lune est un etang d'argent

Additional Information
24 pages | 7.00" x 7.00"