Ojibwe (Chippewa)

Last Stop on Market Street meets We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga in this sweet, bighearted picture book about a young boy who learns the Cherokee lesson of gadugi—how working together and helping each other makes the whole community stronger.

When eager Clay asks his elisi (grandmother) for help to be named star of the week at school, he’s surprised by her answer: No one person is more important than his family and his community. But is Clay still important at all?

This contemplative exploration of community, individualism, and responsibility—accentuated with traditional beadwork in the art—is a moving invitation to consider an indigenous perspective of one’s place in the world and how we all light up our sky, together.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

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

In the fall of 1850, Faye and her family begin a long, difficult journey with thousands of other Ojibwe people to receive money the U.S. government owes them. But why isn’t the money being delivered to them in Wisconsin, as usual? Why must they walk and canoe all the way to the middle of Minnesota in terrible weather? These are questions Faye asks, but the answers don’t make sense. When her family reaches their destination, Mama is sick, and there is no money as promised. Will Faye and her family make it back home? Will there be a home to return to? In this gripping story with nonfiction backmatter—including an author’s note, discussion questions, and more—readers will learn about the traumatic events of the Sandy Lake Ojibwe removal in this Girls Survive historical fiction.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
112 pages | 5.25" x 7.50" | Paperback

I am not a costume.

Ayasha’s school is having a costume party and she is so excited!

But when Ayasha arrives at school and sees other students wearing fake regalia, she is confused and upset. She doesn’t understand why they think her culture is a costume. Ayasha turns to her family and together they come up with a way to teach her classmates about her culture and how to honor her people respectfully.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6+.

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

With simple, lyrical text and vibrant panoramic illustrations, this picture book explores the beauty and resources of thirteen ancestral Indigenous lands and how we all use those lands each day. Simple poetry and portrayals of children and families enjoying rivers, bike paths, beaches, and parks show how everyday activities can include honoring Indigenous nations and cultures.

Author Katrina Phillips (Ojibwe citizen) and illustrator Sam Zimmerman (Ojibwe direct descendant) together have crafted a loving tribute that gently demonstrates recognition and acknowledgement of the nations of people who first called these lands home.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 9.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover 

There’s no “brave” without “afraid”! Jo Jo is back to face her fears, in her own special way, in the fifth book in the beloved Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series.

Spunky Ojibwe first-grader Jo Jo Makoons knows a lot about bravery and boldness. Her cat, Mimi, is very brave when she tries new foods, and Teacher is very bold when he wears his ugly ties to school.

When Jo Jo is invited to her very first friend sleepover, it’s her turn to be courageous! Only she’s not quite sure how. Especially when scary puppets and dolls hide around every corner…

Full of spooky fun and after-school mischief, Jo Jo Makoons celebrates an Ojibwe girl with a big heart who finds her courage through the people she loves.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 10.

This is the fifth book in the Jo Jo Makoons series.

The first book in this acclaimed chapter book series was an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book; a best book of the year from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, American Indians in Children's Literature, and the Chicago Public Library; a Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book; and a Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Choices selection.

Additional Information
64 pages | 5.12" x 7.62" | Paperback

Powwows are about dancing! Indigenous people in America come together at powwows to celebrate their culture and traditions with drumming, singing, and dancing. Together they remember their history and honor their ancestors. Dancers show off their best moves and fancy regalia in dances that tell stories or remember important moments in history. Lively photos and easy-to-read text help readers learn about contemporary powwow dances and traditions and their roots in the past. Readers will discover how Indigenous traditions honor the past and celebrate the present.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Paperback 

A joyous celebration of gender expression through an Indigenous lens, by New York Times bestselling author Tasha Spillett and Ojibwe elder Daniel Ramirez

Raven loves round dances. The drums sing to the people, and the people dance to their songs. Raven especially loves dancing with his grandma, sidestepping to the rhythm of the drums. His favourite part of all is watching the ribbon skirts swirl like rainbows.

"Nohkum, do you think a boy could wear a ribbon skirt?" Raven asks his grandmother one day. She tells him she has lived for a long time, but she has never seen it. That evening, she sews late into the night, and Raven awakes to a rainbow skirt of his own. "I've lived for a long time," his grandma says, "and I'm lucky to see beautiful things that I've never seen before." At the next dance, Raven wears the swirl of unique ribbons with pride.

With illustrations infused with joy and colour, this moving intergenerational story celebrates self-expression, honouring traditions, and finding room for reinvention.

Reviews
"Weaves Two-Spirit self-expression and collective belonging into a beautiful tribute to Indigenous heritage." — Kirkus Reviews - STARRED REVIEW

"Cree author Spillett (I Sang You Down from the Stars) captures the joy of the round dance, and a feeling of belonging and connection offered in intergenerational Indigenous community." — Publishers Weekly - STARRED REVIEW

"[A] welcome story about an Indigenous child's gender expression." — The Horn Book

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

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

When English thirteen-year-old Rosemary is evacuated to her grandmother in America at the start of World War II, she uncovers the family secret—they are Anishinaabe and passing as white.

Life in England is all Rosemary has ever known. . . but as WWII changes the world, no one’s life is left unscathed. Suddenly, she’s sent away to escape the devastation of London. Her grandmother’s house on Lake Superior is safe, but unfamiliar, especially as she discovers her parents have kept a tremendous secret.

Rosemary and her family are Anishinaabe—and no one is supposed to know.

Far from home but newly connected to a once-hidden part of her family, Rosemary develops a warm, close relationship with her grandmother… and a local boy whose love of gardening helps her to see the beauty in her unexpected circumstances. As Rosemary grows into her new life like a flower in bloom, she realizes that maybe she’s not as far from home as she thought.

Tender, sophisticated, and sweet, this is a beautiful story about memory, family, and identity. Rising Ojibwe author Anna Rose Johnson addresses the trauma of World War II and the legacies of hidden indigeneity alongside coming-of-age milestones like first crushes, new schools, and beginning to imagine the life you want. Hand The Blossoming Summer to fans of Christine Day, L.M. Montgomery, and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
288 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover

In this beautiful and dramatic story, bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Aly McKnight show readers how life was lived by Indigenous communities, offering the true history of life on the prairie.

Before there was a little house on the prairie, there was a tipi on the prairie.

Rose is a young Métis-Ojibwe girl who has traveled far with her family for the biannual buffalo hunt made up of hundreds of other Métis families. The ritual of the hunt has been practiced for generations, and each hunt must see the community through the next six months. But in recent years, the buffalo population has dwindled, and after days on the hunt, there are no buffalo to be found. Can Rose help her family find the herd that will enable them to survive the long winter?

Reviews
“This vital and authentic picture book offers an exciting adventure on the prairies not often heard.” —Booklist, starred review

“[Sparks] discussion about environmental conservation and the role that Indigenous people have played (historically and currently) in the care and regrowth of natural lands . . . Skillfully captures the wild beauty of the plains.” —BCCB

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.46" x 11.02" | Hardcover 

Spirited powwows, close family ties, and a deep connection to the land—that’s the Ojibwe Nation. In this captivating nonfiction book for young readers, discover more about the people, places, and customs that shape Ojibwe life across the Great Lakes region. Uncover how the Ojibwe people continue to thrive by preserving their language, celebrating traditions, and gathering at powwows, where drumming, dancing, and storytelling keep their culture alive. Through interactive activities and engaging features—including maps, timelines, recipes, and crafts—Ojibwe author Kim Sigafus provides young learners with meaningful insights into the past, present, and future of this enduring culture.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 11.

This book is part of the Indigenous Peoples series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Paperback 

In 1850, 5,000 Ojibwe people were forced to make a dangerous journey across the Midwest to get treaty payments owed to them from the U. S. Government. But the payments never came, and the Ojibwe had to travel back home through treacherous winter conditions and without the money or supplies they had been promised. More than 400 Ojibwe lost their lives in this event that is now known as the Ojibwe Trail of Tears. Compelling narrative and impactful images help to recount the injustices of this forced removal and explain how it happened, what the many consequences were, how the Ojibwe people responded, and why this tragedy is still vitally relevant today. Author Emily Faith Johnson (Sault St. Marie Chippewa member) shares this not-to-be-forgotten story with young readers and educators seeking a closer look at U.S. history.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

A modern-day twist to The Giving Tree, this book chronicles the changes brought upon a beloved family tree that must be uprooted and planted on new land. This debut picture book by Staci Lola Drouillard (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe descendant) celebrates resiliency, family bonds, and our deep connection to and responsibility for nature.

Grandma’s garden was not just any garden. It was where a spruce tree, only as tall as baby Francis, reached her roots into the soil and stretched her branches toward the sky. Here, on the shore of Gichigaming, is where Francis and the sapling felt right at home.

But when Grandma and Grandpa decide to move away, Francis wants to take the tree with them—can they?

Brimming with tenderness, this story from Staci Lola Drouillard (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe descendant), with illustrations by Kate Gardiner (Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck Indians), traces the journey of one family, and a little tree, as they adapt to change by drawing on the strength of their roots.

Reviews
"Drouillard, a Grand Portage band of Ojibwe descendant, and Gardiner, a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck Indians, expertly weave together Francis and Gawaandagoonce’s grief and growth, conveying the heartbreak and resilience that often accompany transition while honoring Ojibwe values and language. A poignant illustration of how our roots keep us grounded amid change." — Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 10.00" x 10.00" | Hardcover

A Fresh Retelling of the Christmas Story!

When they arrived, the time for Bitter Tears to have her child was upon her! But no place could be found in the lodging house, so He Gives Sons found a sheep cave where it was warm and dry.

There, Bitter Tears gave birth to her son. They wrapped him in a soft, warm blanket and laid him on a baby board. Then they placed him on a bed of straw in a feeding trough.

Every year at Christmas, Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus—the Chosen One. Birth of the Chosen One is a unique retelling of this familiar story since it is an adaptation of the Gospel of Luke from the First Nations Version.

Birth of the Chosen One includes:

• The story of Jesus told in the tradition of Native storytellers' oral cultures
• A dynamic equivalence translation of the Christmas story that helps readers of all ages experience Scripture in a fresh and new way
• Illustrations from Native artists Hannah and Holly Buchanan
• A note from the author to encourage further conversation between children and the adults who read with them

Reviews
"It is a gentle, smooth account of Jesus' birth. I pray it reaches a vast audience encouraging each one's effort to search deeper." — Warren D. Petoskey, elder of the Waganakising Odawa and Minneconjou Lakotah nations and author of Dancing My Dream

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

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

The Great Spirit challenges all the birds to a contest, and the gift of birdsong is born! This traditional story, told in both English and Ojibwe, explains bird behavior and where humans should go to hear the prettiest of birdsongs.

When Mother Earth was very young and the Great Spirit had created all the beings, he noticed how quiet everything was. As he walked about the earth, listening to the sounds of the animals and the wind and the waters, some birds flying by caught his eye. He knew immediately what he needed to do.

The Great Spirit held a contest so that each bird could earn the song that was just right for its species. He called together all the birds, from the smallest sparrow to the largest hawk, and told them the plan. Each would fly as high in the sky as it could, and when it returned to Mother Earth it would receive its song.

Eagle was certain his strong wings would help him fly highest of all and earn the prettiest song. But he did not know that, while the Great Spirit was talking, the tiny hermit thrush had snuggled into eagle's feathers to take a nap.

All the birds flew and flew, higher and higher, each descending when it was time to return—and each receiving its own special song. But which bird flew the highest? Which one received the prettiest song?

This treasured story, handed down through author Travis Zimmerman's family, features traditional knowledge from the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Grand Portage descendant Sam Zimmerman's vibrant illustrations showcase his stylized artistry and deep appreciation for feathered creatures. Marcus Ammesmaki's retelling in Ojibwemowin brings the story full circle, encouraging language learners to explore this age-old depiction of our natural world—and inviting all readers to cherish the gift of birdsong.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Dual-Language: English and Ojibwe.

Retold in Ojibwemowin by Marcus Ammesmaki / Aanikanootaagewin. Marcus is a K/1 teacher at Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 10.00" | Hardcover 

It is good to follow the rules. But there are just so many! In this fourth book in the beloved Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series, Jo Jo’s talents may not quite include following her substitute teacher’s rules…

Jo Jo and her classmates are excited that the Elders’ Tribal Center has changed the rules for the talent show to invite the whole tribe to perform. But the rules have also changed in Jo Jo’s classroom, where instead of their teacher, they have a substitute. Since Jo Jo has a knack for being helpful, she puts her mind to helping her classmates decide on their talents—but can she manage to follow the substitute teacher’s rules?

Even if no one else quite understands Jo Jo’s own rules (like that saying “please” makes words softer and fluffier to hear and that square foods are too pointy to be yummy), her undeniable talents for celebrating, curiosity, and class keep her happily hop-skipping in step with her Ojibwe community.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 10.

This is the fourth book in the Jo Jo Makoons series.

The first book in this acclaimed chapter book series was an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book; a best book of the year from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, American Indians in Children's Literature, and the Chicago Public Library; a Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book; and a Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Choices selection.

Additional Information
96 pages | 5.12" x 7.62" | Paperback