Picture Books

Follow the adventures of Chuck as he gets lost on his first trip to the big city. Chuck encounters stray dogs and alley cats, kids on skateboards and rollerblades, and tall office towers. After realizing he is lost, Chuck relies on what he has learned to find his way back to his kookum's (grandmother's) condo.

Chuck in the City is Jordan Wheeler's second book for children. The award-winning Cree author and scriptwriter previously introduced young readers to Chuck in Just a Walk. Wheeler writes in a rhyming style that will capture and hold a child's attention.

Series Information
This is the second book in the Chuck series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Dancing with the Cranes gives an understanding of birth, life and death. Chi's momma is soon to have a baby, but Chi is having a hard time being happy about it. Chi misses Temma (her grandma), who has passed away. Chi's momma and daddy help ease the pain of losing Temma and help Chi to understand life and death as a part of nature. Chi soon finds herself feeling comforted, knowing Temma will always be a part of her and looking forward to the new baby who will be a part of their lives.

Educator Information
Recommended for 6 to 8.

Additional Information
24 pages | 7.97" x 9.95"

In Just a Walk, a young boy named Chuck goes for a simple walk that turns into a day of crazy adventure. Chuck encounters animals, fish and birds that lead him on a wild journey through their various habitats.

Jordan Wheeler's whimsical rhyming will capture the young readers attention and Chuck's hilarious predicaments will keep all ages laughing for more.

Written to excite the young readers and to leave a smile on their faces.

Educator & Series Information
Just a Walk is an adaptation of a popular oral presentation developed as an interactive performance for children.

This is the first book in the Chuck series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Can a sewing project make a difference half-way across the world?

Lacey Little Bird loves spending time with Kahasi, an elder on her reserve who is like a grandmother to her. From Kahasi, Lacey is learning about their people, the Siksika Blackfoot tribe of Alberta, including the art of beadwork.

Lacey hears about a project to help grandmothers in Africa who are raising their grandchildren because their parents have died from AIDS. Even though Africa is far, far away, Lacey wants to help and emails the grandmothers with a plan to raise money by selling beaded purses.

What difference can a young Blackfoot girl from North America make in the lives of grandmothers in Africa? A lot, as Lacey discovers. Her decision to help will bring about amazing changes in her life and her community.

Lacey and the African Grandmothers is based on true events, real people, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

This is a Kids Power Book – our series inspired by real stories of young people who have taken action to make their lives, and their world, better.

Reviews
"This is a story of remarkable courage and initiative in a young person who wanted to help others less fortunate." — Canadian Teacher, January 2009

"Holler includes the wisdom of the elders as personified by Kahasi, Lacey’s grandmother. Reverence for the old ways, through such traditional crafts as beading and making moccasins, is also documented...It would make an excellent introduction to a study of children making a difference in the world, such as the ongoing work of Craig Kielburger." — CM Magazine, August 2010

Educator & Series Information
Recommended Ages: 9-12

Lacey and the African Grandmothers is a fictionalized story inspired by a true one.

Subjects:

• Character Education
  > Empathy
  > Strong Female Characters
• History & Social Studies
  > Global Cultures
  > Social Justice
• Reflecting Diversity
  > Cultural & Ethnic Diversity
  > First Nations & Indigenous Peoples

This book is part of the Kids' Power Series.

Additional Information
164 pages | 6.52" x 8.01"

A sweet story about a little Quail who, through the love of his family, learns life lessons about feelings, emotions and expressing oneself.

Written for children of all backgrounds, with colorful illustrations, this story shares the important message of healthy living.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This book is part of the Caring For Me Series.

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

Find out where honey comes from as Grandpa the Beeman teaches the basics of beekeeping to his young grandson. This rhyming story includes 7 pages of educational endnotes full of essential facts about bees, beekeeping, honey, and the vital part that bees play in the natural world.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

With rhyming text and warm, expressive paintings, this lovely picture book takes the reader through a year of beekeeping from the point of view of a little girl helping her beloved grandpa, who's known in town as the Beeman. Full-color illustrations.

An accessible and engaging introduction to the behavior of bees, including: where they live, how honey is made, and what a beekeeper does. Children will love learning about the vital role of bees in the ecosystem, and will be delighted to find a delicious muffin recipe on the final page!

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

This charming story, richly steeped in Métis culture, focuses on the boyhood reminisces of Moushoom as her describes finding the "great giving tree" with his mother and father. The story emphasizes the Métis core values and beliefs including strength, kindness, courage, tolerance, honesty, respect, love, sharing, caring, balance, patience, and most of all, the important connection with the creator and Mother Earth.

Additional Information
50 Pages | 27.9 cm H x 21.5 cm W

Each year Canada hosts 35 million foreign tourists who spend over $16 billion. A Moose in a Maple Tree is a natural overseas gift and souvenir for children, tourists, Canadians living abroad, and anyone who is looking forward to a white Christmas in this wonderful country with its use of iconic Canadianisms: skiers, sled dogs, salmon, Mounties, lobsters, beavers, whales, hockey sticks, totem poles, snowmen, polar bears, and of course, the moose, all ultimately gathered together in a Canadian maple tree.  

This beautifully illustrated, durable, glossy picture book has been entirely printed and produced in Canada, and has been nominated for the Lieutenant Governor Generals Award for Children's illustrations. 

A Moose in a Maple Tree will capture the imagination of young readers with its quirky twist on the original Christmas song while providing lively, colourful images created by Toronto graphic designer and illustrator, Jennifer Harrington. The book can be sung or read aloud and is designed as a learning tool that will instigate discussion about all things Canadian. The book is also a great tool for your readers learning to count.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 9.50"

Dancing in My Bones, the sequel to the highly successful book Fiddle Dancer, returns us to the story of a young Métis boy named Nolin as he continues to discover his Métis heritage. Lovingly written by Wilfred Burton and Anne Patton and vividly illustrated by Sherry Farrell Racette, Dancing in My Bones will take you on a journey to discover Moushoom's first moose hunt, red lipstick kisses, Uncle Bunny's fiddling, and the return of the "Bannock Jig." But most importantly, by the end of the story, you might feel like you have dancing in your bones!

Includes a CD with English and Michif Narrations of the Story and Fiddle Music!

Educator & Series Information
The trilogy is composed of these three titles: Fiddle Dancer, Dancing In My Bones, and Call of the Fiddle. Dancing in My Bones is the second book in the trilogy.

Michif translations by Normal Fleury.

Additional Information
50 Pages | 27.9 cm H x 21.5 cm W 

Think of all the rocks there are: the skipping rocks, the splashing rocks, and the chalk rocks. Whether the found treasures are climbing rocks or wishing rocks, children can't help collecting them. With joyful text and luminous photographs, If You Find a Rock celebrates rocks everywhere--as well as the mysterious and wonderful places they are found.

Features 18 hand-tinted photographic illustrations

Junior Library Guild Selection

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 4-7.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 9.00"

Jenneli is a shy young girl who feels that she is nothing special, until she learns about the Métis Red-River Jig from her grandma. One day, Grandma Lucee enters her into a jigging contest. Jenneli's Dance is a story that instills a sense of pride in the Métis culture, and deals with low self-esteem.

Additional Information
44 pages | 7.94" x 9.02"

This sweet, simple story looks at a very special relationship. A young boy goes for a walk with his kohkom, or grandmother, listening, picking, praying, eating... just as she does. In doing so, he begins to learn the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage.

Caitlin Dale Nicholson’s acrylic-on-canvas illustrations portray the close relationship between the boy and his grandmother and the natural beauty of the bush. Her text has been translated into Cree by Leona Morin-Neilson, who was also the inspiration for the story and collaborated with her on this work.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended Ages: 4-7

Delivered in a dual-language format of Cree (y-dialect) and English. 

This book is part of the Nôhkom series.

Recommended for Grades K-1 for the following subject areas: English Language Arts, Indigenous Language Studies, Social Studies, Science and Nature, Visual Arts.

Authenticity Note: Leona Morin-Neilson (Métis-Cree) is a Cree teacher and the inspiration behind this book. She collaborated with the author to create this work. Leona Morin-Neilson teaches Cree at the “Power of Friendship” Aboriginial Headstart program in Prince George, British Columbia, and at the University of Northern British Columbia. She also teaches people in her community about traditional plants and how they can be used for medicinal purposes.

Because of the collaboration between Leona and the author, and Leona's Cree translation, this book has been labeled as containing Authentic Indigenous Text.  It is up to readers to determine if this work is authentic for their purposes.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 12.25"

This moving sequel to the award-winning Shi-shi-etko tells the story of two children's experience at residential school. Shi-shi-etko is about to return for her second year, but this time her six-year-old brother, Shin-chi, is going, too. As they begin their journey in the back of a cattle truck, Shi-shi-etko takes it upon herself to tell her little brother all the things he must remember: the trees, the mountains, the rivers and the tug of the salmon when he and his dad pull in the fishing nets. Shin-chi knows he won't see his family again until the sockeye salmon return in the summertime.

When they arrive at school, Shi-shi-etko gives him a tiny cedar canoe, a gift from their father. The children's time is filled with going to mass, school for half the day, and work the other half. The girls cook, clean and sew, while the boys work in the fields, in the woodshop and at the forge. Shin-chi is forever hungry and lonely, but, finally, the salmon swim up the river and the children return home for a joyful family reunion.

Awards

Reviews
"Shin-Chi’s Canoe is a story about a brother and sister sent to a residential school and the separation from their culture they experience. Shin-Chi finds comfort with a little cedar canoe and the dream of returning home like the salmon. The children both find peace and strength by connecting to Mother Earth and the water. The story acknowledges the residential school system's devastating events while highlighting Indigenous children's strength and resiliency." - The Dalai Lama Center

Educator Information
Recommended Grades: 2-10.

Recommended Authentic First Peoples K-9 resource.

This illustrated children's story is recommended for English First Peoples Grades 10 for units pertaining to childhood through Indigenous writers' eyes and the exploration of residential schools and reconciliation through children's literature.

This book is available in French: La pirogue de Shin-chi

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.50" x 8.13"

A trickster named Coyote rules her world, until a funny-looking stranger named Columbus changes her plans. Unimpressed by the wealth of moose, turtles, and beavers in Coyote' s land, he' d rather figure out how to hunt human beings to sell back in Spain. Thomas King uses a bag of literary tricks to shatter the stereotypes surrounding Columbus' s voyages. In doing so, he invites children to laugh with him at the crazy antics of Coyote, who unwittingly allows Columbus to engineer the downfall of his human friends. William Kent Monkman's vibrant illustrations perfectly complement this amusing story with a message.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 5 to 8.

Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Geography, Physical Education and Health

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 10.50"

One late fall day, the boy told the old people that he was going fishing. When he returned home, he said that he had caught a whale.

Un matin, juste avant l’arrivée de l’hiver, le garçon dit à ses parents qu’il part à la pêche. Peu de temps après, il revient chez lui, tout heureux d’annoncer qu’il a pêché une baleine.

Educator & Series Information
This book is delivered in a triple-language format of English, French, and Mi'kmaq.

This book is part of Collection Wabanaki.