Picture Books

We can see a lot of interesting things on the land.

This book describes what you might see while walking on the land in Nunavut.

Educator & Series Information 
This book is part of the Nunavummi Reading Series, a Nunavut-developed series that supports literacy learning while teaching readers about the people, traditions, and environment of the Canadian Arctic.  It is a Level 7 book in the series. 

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. This book's F&P Level is C.

Curriculum Connections: Language and literacy; Diversity; Indigenous perspectives; Environmental awareness

Recommended for ages 5-7.

Additional Information 
12 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

A sweet story about facing your fears, even when you're scared.

It’s a bright and beautiful day at the lake where a boy and his mother are camping. The boy is just a little scared of jumping into the water. At the same time, not too far away, a hungry bear cub is a little scared of diving deep into a dumpster, where tasty snacks await.

Later, when the boy encounters a distraught mama bear sniffing around the dumpster, he’s very scared. But so is her bear cub, who is trapped inside! Bold, graphic artwork moves the narrative along in this mostly-wordless book full of sound effects and simple variations on a single phrase full of so many meanings (“He was scared”). Parallel stories of the mother and son, and mama and cub, come together when the campers, despite being scared, help rescue the cub from the dumpster.

This simple, moving story invites readers to observe expressions, body language, and details hidden in the illustrations to follow the narrative. It’s a sweet summer read that normalizes fear and encourages acting with courage and compassion—even when you’re scared.

Reviews
"Conquering fears, helping others, and perhaps a message about wild animals and human garbage—though almost wordless, this book certainly says a lot." — Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
This book features:

• Mostly wordless narrative told through illustrated clues, sound effects, and variations on a single phrase.
• Bold, graphic artwork that depicts summer in nature as inviting and exciting.
• Repetition and patterning support comprehension.

Reading Level: Kindergarten
Fountas & Pinnell: C
Reading Recovery: 3
Lexile Measure: BR80L

Curriculum Components: Language Arts: Reading Comprehension

Additional Information
48 pages | 8.50" x 11.25"

This resonant and award-winning picture book tells the story of one girl who constantly gets asked a simple question that doesn’t have a simple answer.

A great conversation starter in the home or classroom—a book to share. When a girl is asked where she’s from—where she’s really from—none of her answers seems to be the right one.

Unsure about how to reply, she turns to her loving abuelo for help. He doesn’t give her the response she expects. She gets an even better one.

Where am I from?

You’re from hurricanes and dark storms, and a tiny singing frog that calls the island people home when the sun goes to sleep....

With themes of self-acceptance, identity, and home, this powerful, lyrical picture book will resonate with readers young and old, from all backgrounds and of all colors—especially anyone who ever felt that they don’t belong.

Reviews
"Lyrical language and luminous illustrations. An ideal vehicle for readers to ponder and discuss their own identities." —Kirkus (starred review)

"An enchanted, hand-in-hand odyssey [and] opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many, many backgrounds, roots, histories, of those who live in these United States." —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"A much-needed title that is a first purchase for libraries and classrooms." —School Library Journal

"This touching book addresses a ubiquitous question for children of color, and in the end, the closeness between the girl and Abuelo shows that no matter the questions, she knows exactly where she’s from." —Booklist

"Although the book begins as a gentle riposte to narrow cultural and ethnic categorizations, its conclusion reaches out to all readers, evoking both heritage and the human family." —Publishers Weekly

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Themes / Subjects: Self-Acceptance; Identity; Home; Diversity; Immigration/Emigration; Prejudice

Additional Information
40 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

Where do you like to walk?

This book helps children practise prepositions by describing where two people walk in Nunavut.

Educator & Series Information 
This book is part of the Nunavummi Reading Series, a Nunavut-developed series that supports literacy learning while teaching readers about the people, traditions, and environment of the Canadian Arctic.  It is a Level 6 book in the series. 

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. This book's F&P Level is B.

Curriculum Connections: Language and literacy; Diversity; Indigenous perspectives; Environmental awareness

Recommended for ages 5-7.

Additional Information 
12 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

Celebrated Mi'kmaw artist behind The Thundermaker returns with a story about friendship and the importance of traditional knowledge.

From the bestselling creator of The Thundermaker comes another adventure featuring Little Thunder and Wolverine — a trickster, who is strong and fierce and loyal. The two are best of friends, even though Wolverine can sometimes get them into trouble. Their favourite pastime is eel fishing, whether it's cutting through winter ice with a stone axe or catching eels in traditional stone weirs in the summer. But that all changes one night, when they encounter the giant river eel — the eel that is too big to catch. The eel that hunts people!

At once a universal story of friendship and problem-solving, Wolverine and Little Thunder is a contemporary invocation of traditional Mi'kmaw knowledge, reinforcing the importance of the relationship between the Mi'kmaq and eel, a dependable year-round food source traditionally offered to Glooscap, the Creator, for a successful hunt.

Educator Information
Recommended ages: 4-8

Additional Information
40 pages | Paperback

Water warriors and tree protectors, Ethan and Isla cook, have many questions to ask Siri about the state of the world.  This book is their conversation, with pictures by their dad, Rande.

Illustrations with conversations are an Indigenous way of showing rather than telling, and Yo! Wiksas? is a great book for curious kids who ask big questions, and adults who help them discover answers about bullying, environmental protection, inclusivity, and more. Also a useful classroom adjunct to interpersonal relationships; includes an on-end study guide.

The book shows an illustrated conversation between Isla and Ethan, son and daughter of Kwakwaka’wakw Chief Rande Ola K’alapa, a much-loved artist of mixed European and Indigenous descent, and their invisible friend Siri. Isabel Rogers, also a kid, is part of the story-telling process.

Reviews
Excerpt from the Afterword from the author:

Educator Information
This book was developed by Linda Rogers and Rande Cook (Rande Ola K'alapa). It is questions for the Creator that have been diverted to Siri, a game Rande plays with his kids Ethan and Isla. 

Consider this book to be a bridge, a route to one important thing: Kindness... The books' creators want lots and lots of kids to share in on their fun and to think about their own questions, and discover their own answers.

Includes a Kwak'wala glossary, as well as an Afterword and Study Guide. 

Additional Information
76 pages | 8.00" x 9.00"

Authenticity Note: Because this story is a collaborative effort, with words by Linda Rogers with big helps from Isla, Ethan, Isabel, and Siri, and illustrations from Rande Cook, it has been given the Authentic Indigenous Text and Artwork labels.  It's up to readers to determine if the text in this work is authentic for their purposes.

To the sea, to the sea,

who or what waits here for me?

Pairing two dozen of Carol Evans’s wonderful watercolours with a lilting rhyming story by Caroline Woodward, A West Coast Summer tells of a timeless, idyllic season where “Sea salt in the air floats everywhere / and cedars smell so sweet beside the shore.” Children race bikes along sand flats, search under logs and in tide pools for tiny creatures, jig at the dock for herring, dance at a totem raising ceremony, pick berries, make memories and leave footprints in the sand.

Evans’s illustrations capture the jubilation of children exploring the seashore, inspiring young readers to take their own journey to the sea to discover who or what waits for them in the Pacific Northwest—and learn that the best memories are those shared with family and friends.

Readers of all ages will enjoy this charming collaboration, sure to become a West Coast children’s classic.

Reviews
"A West Coast Summer is simply magical! You’ll find yourself transported into the wonder of a perfect day by the ocean. A must-have for anyone who loves to play!" — Robert Budd, co-author of the Northwest Coast Legends and First West Coast Books series

"I have long admired Carol Evans’s art. What a treat to see her paintings in her first book for children. The light, the ripples of water, the joy! Evans’s paintings vibrate with the magic of rocks and tide pools as seen from a child’s point of view. Accompanied by Caroline Woodward’s lyrical text, this book feels like author and illustrator take the reader by the hand for a wondrous walk in the sunshine. A must-read, not just for West Coasters but for all who want to experience the beauty of wild Pacific shores." — Margriet Ruurs, author of Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

Are you kind?

In a series of simple yet evocative questions, this impactful book asks children how they will show kindness and consideration for others. Written by the editors of Pajama Press, and illustrated by celebrated Pajama Press artists, these stunning pages inspire meaningful discussion and storytelling about the understated yet powerful ways in which children might influence the world around them. A World of Kindness goes beyond mere rhetoric to examine, in a child-friendly way, everyday social interactions where a kind word or act could have a transformative affect on others.

Royalties from the proceeds of this book will be donated to Think Kindness.

Many of the original images in this book have been donated by the artists. The cover art was created and donated by award-winning author-illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo.  Some other artists whose work is featured include Brian Deines, Kim La Fave, Manon Gauthier, Tara Anderson, Rebecca Bender, Francois Thisdale, Wallace Edwards, and Dean Griffiths.

Reviews
"A tool to spur kindness conversations..."—Kirkus Reviews

"Every page of this book has a unique style of artwork....The settings and children featured in each scene reflect a diversity of cultures....Every child (and parent) could benefit from this book."—Resource Links

"The real strength of A World of Kindness is its art...each illustration in its own way and style authentically highlights the joy of kindness...Preschool and Kindergarten teachers will find that A World of Kindness makes a lovely companion to now-classic picture books on kindness such as Have You Filled a Bucket Today?"—CM Magazine

"The ideas are simple, but they're also transformative and profound, and the depth and diversity of illustrations on this book provide another layer of richness, making A World of Kindness a deeply meaningful read."—Pickle Me This

"The questions are asked of young readers, and the illustrations inspire quiet conversation about the many ways we can show kindness to others...Empathy and kindness can be severely lacking in these divisive times, and we can often look to children to show us the way."—Sal's Fiction Addiction

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 3-6

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 9.00"

When a young girl visits the site of Africville, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the stories she’s heard from her family come to mind. She imagines what the community was once like —the brightly painted houses nestled into the hillside, the field where boys played football, the pond where all the kids went rafting, the bountiful fishing, the huge bonfires. Coming out of her reverie, she visits the present-day park and the sundial where her great- grandmother’s name is carved in stone, and celebrates a summer day at the annual Africville Reunion/Festival.

Africville was a vibrant Black community for more than 150 years. But even though its residents paid municipal taxes, they lived without running water, sewers, paved roads and police, fire-truck and ambulance services. Over time, the city located a slaughterhouse, a hospital for infectious disease, and even the city garbage dump nearby. In the 1960s, city officials decided to demolish the community, moving people out in city dump trucks and relocating them in public housing.

Today, Africville has been replaced by a park, where former residents and their families gather each summer to remember their community.

Awards

• Winner of the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration
• Winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

Reviews
"This story celebrates the beauty and joy of the community seen through a child’s eyes. . . . There is both pride and longing expressed in the lyrical text, and the vibrant colors and friendly compositions of the oil and pastel illustrations immerse readers in this community." — School Library Journal

"Shauntay Grant’s writing is graceful ... She reaches out to young readers and invites them in ... Visually, Africville is gorgeous. Eva Campbell’s illustrations are arresting; the colours are warm and inviting, and her painterly style enhances the dreamlike quality of the story." — Quill & Quire

"Through the poem, readers visit this sparkling seaside community . . .. Grant's evocative descriptions are perfectly matched in tone and timbre with Campbell's vibrant oil-and-pastel renderings of the town and its residents." — Booklist

"The writing is spare but emotional, and the art brings the community to life. A loving tribute to a history that should not be forgotten." — Kirkus Reviews

"[Shauntay] Grant’s perfectly paced free verse poetry has a gentle, hypnotic quality that flows through the narrative and invites the reader to savour each word and the myriad images the words evoke. Eva Campbell’s illustrations are bold, bright and filled with energy and motion. . . . [A] vivid portrait of what Africville once was." — Atlantic Books Today

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

Juvenile Fiction - Historical

Social Themes: Prejudice & Racism

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 10.25"

Celebrate diversity and inclusion with this New York Times bestselling picture book about a school where all are welcome! Look under the jacket for a poster, and don't miss the fold-out page at the end of the book.

Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where kids in patkas, hijabs, and yarmulkes play side-by-side with friends in baseball caps. A school where students grow and learn from each other's traditions and the whole community gathers to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school.

Reviews
“This is a must-read for pre-school and elementary classrooms everywhere. An important book that celebrates diversity and inclusion in a beautiful, age-appropriate way.” – Trudy Ludwig, author of The Invisible Boy and Quiet Please, Owen McPhee!

"Penfold and Kaufman have outdone themselves in delivering a vital message in today's political climate."--Kirkus Reviews

"A great read-aloud selection to start the year and revisit time and again." —School Library Journal

Additional Information
44 pages | 10.38" x 10.25"

This whimsical story celebrates the revitalization of Cree dialects and traditional methods of storytelling.

During an unfortunate mishap, young Awâsis loses Kôhkum’s freshly baked world-famous bannock. Not knowing what to do, Awâsis seeks out a variety of other-than-human relatives willing to help. What adventures are in store for Awâsis?

Additional Information
28 pages | 9.00" x 9.00"

Windy Girl is blessed with a vivid imagination. From Uncle she gathers stories of long-ago traditions, about dances and sharing and gratitude. Windy can tell such stories herself–about her dog, Itchy Boy, and the way he dances to request a treat and how he wriggles with joy in response to, well, just about everything.

When Uncle and Windy Girl and Itchy Boy attend a powwow, Windy watches the dancers in their jingle dresses and listens to the singers. She eats tasty food and joins family and friends around the campfire. Later, Windy falls asleep under the stars. Now Uncle's stories inspire other visions in her head: a bowwow powwow, where all the dancers are dogs. In these magical scenes, Windy sees veterans in a Grand Entry, and a visiting drum group, and traditional dancers, grass dancers, and jingle-dress dancers–all with telltale ears and paws and tails. All celebrating in song and dance. All attesting to the wonder of the powwow.

This playful story by Brenda Child is accompanied by a companion retelling in Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain and brought to life by Jonathan Thunder's vibrant dreamscapes. The result is a powwow tale for the ages.

Awards

• 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award winner for Picture Book
• 2019 American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
• 2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center Best of the Year Choice
• 2018 American Indians in Children’s Literature Best Books

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Dual-language: Ojibwe and English

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

With beautiful, scientifically accurate illustrations, this fascinating story teaches children about the many fish, crustaceans, marine mammals, and micro-organisms that live in and feed off the eelgrass meadows of the north Pacific coastal region.

Sam and Crystal’s coastal adventure continues as brother and sister dive deeper—literally—into the marine habitats of Eagle Cove, home of Aunt Kate and Uncle Charlie. In their third adventure, the kids learn about one of the most ecologically important ecosystems on the west coast: the eelgrass meadow. This rich habitat provides food and shelter to countless marine critters—from tiny micro-organisms to juvenile fish, and is the basis of a gigantic food web that supports herring, salmon, black bears, humpback whales and many other species. Ada, an Indigenous woman from nearby Salmon Bay Village, tells the children about her people’s knowledge of land and sea, complementing Aunt Kate’s Western scientific teachings and reinforcing the importance of respecting nature. Combining an entertaining story with gorgeous imagery and the author’s scientific background and extensive work with Indigenous Elders and educators, Explore the Eelgrass Meadow with Sam and Crystal brings the coastline to life for children ages eight and up.

Reviews

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 8-11.

This book is part of the Explore with Sam and Crystal series.

A brother and sister learn about the importance of the eelgrass meadow, a fascinating and complex marine ecosystem that sustains a variety of life on the North Pacific coast.

This book explores themes of marine biology, biodiversity, animal behavior and the interconnectedness of animal species with their habitats. It examines ethical issues related to environmental protection, endangered species and people’s respect for nature.

Gloria Snively was compelled to write this series because of the serious degradation of our coastal ecosystems. As an educator and curriculum developer, she feels we need to do a better job of educating youth about basic marine ecology. 

Snively is a founding member of the Northwest Association of Marine Educators (NAME).

Additional Information
64 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"

A lavishly illustrated story that teaches children about the marine ecosystems of coastal Pacific rocky shores.

Siblings Crystal and Sam and their Aunt Kate and Uncle Charlie explore the tide pools of Eagle Cove, a sheltered inlet on the Northwest Pacific Coast.  The children discover that you don’t have to go far out to sea to encounter some remarkable creatures: a great variety of crabs, sea stars, sea anemones, sea urchins, snails, shrimps, clams, jellyfish and much more.  With the help of Ada, an Indigenous woman, the children learn about Raven’s intelligence and playfulness, encounter Grandfather Father Tidepool Sculpin, and explore the shoreline through the eyes of an ancient fish.  The fantasy enables the children to gain an understanding of the High Tide Zone, the Middle Tide Zone, and the Low Tide Zone.  For example, in the chapter “Sunflower Sea Star, the Terror of the Seashore”, Karen’s drawings clearly illustrate a cockle clam’s reaction to the approach of a sea star! 

“Although a fictitious story, the accuracy of the facts is guaranteed as Gloria Snively is a University of Victoria professor emeritus of science, environmental and marine education”.  Gloria’s work with Indigenous educators and elders brings authenticity to every page. “Beautifully illustrated with colourful and scientifically accurate drawings and paintings, the book is both an entertaining story and a useful learning tool”. 

Reviews
"As Sam and Crystal explore the coast with Uncle Charlie, Aunt Kate, Ada, and Grandfather Sculpin they come to understand the interconnectedness of all things through food gathering, food preparation, and giving thanks to the salmon. Throughout the story, the children receive teachings about the importance of respecting and making wise decisions about the ocean and our plant and animal family." — 'Nalaga Donna Cranmer, 'Namgis First Nation, Principal of Wagalus School, Fort Rupert, BC

"Gloria Snively’s beautiful book fires up the imagination and makes learning fun and effortless." — Holly Arntzen, eco-songwriter/singer/producer, Artist Response Team (ART)

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6-12.

This book is part of the Explore with Sam and Crystal Series.

Notes from the author: "These books are set in a fictional setting but depict northwest coast marine creatures as well as Northwest Coast Indigenous ways of harvesting ocean resources and relating to the land, the ocean, and all of creation."

"The stories are about Sam and Crystal who visit their Aunt Kate and Uncle Charlie in a remote coast location. A fifth major character is Ada, an Indigenous woman who is Aunt Kate’s best friend. Aunt Kate is a retired marine biologist. The two women teach the children all about marine organisms and in particular to take care of the seashore and all its living creatures—Aunt Kate from a biological/ecological perspective and Ada from a coastal Indigenous, often spiritual perspective. The two ways of knowing overlap and reinforce the importance of sustainability and respecting all the creatures of nature."

Additional Information
64 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"