Picture Books

A beautifully illustrated reimagining of the origins of hockey from an Indigenous lens.

Killer Whale and Brown Bear are arguing: Brown Bear says he can beat Killer Whale at any challenge, yet Killer Whale disagrees. When Powerful Mena overhears their bickering, he comes up with a solution: a game on the ice, played with sticks, nets, and a star for a puck. But who will win and earn the trophy?

For kids aged 4-8, The Game features:

• An introduction to Musqueam language and culture
• Beautiful watercolor artwork from a celebrated Haida artist
• Detailed backmatter and a pronunciation guide

With poetic text by gifted Indigenous storyteller Henry Charles (Ten Bears), an elder of the Musqueam First Nation, and breathtaking illustrations by Haida artist, Shoshannah Greene, The Game offers a vibrant introduction to Musqueam language and culture and inspires readers to rediscover a sport we know and love.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
48 pages | 10.00" x 8.00" | 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 

Share in a raven’s sense of wonder as this gorgeous picture book brings Richard Wagamese’s wisdom to young audiences.

“Reuben was an inquisitive raven. Of course, all ravens are inquisitive, but Reuben was a notch above even the most curious bird.” So begins a story by beloved author Richard Wagamese, about a raven that has the whole forest talking. Some think he is nosy, but really, he is in a state of utter amazement at the world. He suggests new designs for the beavers’ dams, imitates the blue herons’ one-legged stance as they spear minnows, and squawks in glee at the sight of the bears emerging from hibernation. When he sees an eagle soaring high in the sky, he tries to soar just as high, in order to earn the other animals’ respect—only to learn that respect is not something one earns, but something one carries.

This book is yet another example from Richard Wagamese about the power of storytelling. Beautifully illustrated with original work from Anishinaabe artist Bridget George, The Inquisitive Raven is sure to be cherished by readers of all ages.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is part of the Richard Wagamese Storybook Collection.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.25" x 9.25" | Hardcover 

A gorgeous picture book about the connections created through music, and how music can reach loved ones with dementia.

A young boy learns to play guitar from his grandfather, and the one about the blackbird is their favorite song. Years later, the boy visits his grandfather, and while his grandfather doesn't recognize him, now grown-up, he does still remember how to hold a guitar.

A beautiful full circle moment ensues when the boy plays his grandfather their favorite song.

The moving text and dynamic, gorgeous art celebrate the connection that music can create between two people and the joy that music, and the shared love of it, can bring at any age.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

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

This Story follows Grandfather and his Grandson as they walk together down The Path. They will meet many Relatives who each carry a Teaching. Grandfather shares with Grandson the Teachings and their importance.

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 3 to 6.

Additional Information
28 Pages | Hardcover 

From an acclaimed Ojibwe artist comes a story that offers an empowering universal message about finding inner strength.

Zoon’s shadow is always in his way. It makes a mess of his room, disrupts his class at school, and trips him on the soccer field. Zoon doesn’t know what to do! Until he tells his grandmother about it, and she gives him his grandfather’s drum. Its rhythm is like a heartbeat. If only Zoon can listen to the drum’s song, and ultimately to his own heart, he may yet find a way to thrive alongside his shadow.

Pawis‑Steckley's striking, graphic art brings to vibrant life both the challenges of controlling our trickster impulses and the luminosity of ancestral and inner wisdom, paving the way for us all to listen to our hearts.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

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

In this charming debut, a feather from a red-tailed hawk finds its home in a little girl's dreamcatcher

When a gust of wind blows a feather off a flying red-tailed hawk, it marks the beginning of that feather's quest to find a new home. The feather ends up in a squirrel's nest, a woman's hat, and atop a sandcastle-but none of these spots feel right.

Soon, the feather is picked up by a little girl who lovingly takes it home to join two other feathers as part of a special craft project. When the project is complete, the reader discovers that the feather has found its home in a dreamcatcher.

Bright illustrations bring young readers along on this lost feather's search for purpose, and the heartwarming conclusion weaves in a tribute to an Indigenous cultural object.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient: M 
Lexile measure: AD630L

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 7.75" | Hardcover

Learn about the Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back with this easy to read beautifully illustrated rhyming book. A great tool to help young children understand and learn the many teachings of the thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back.

Educator Information
Recommended for Grade 1 students.

Additional Information
Hardcover 

Learn about Tipi Teachings with this easy to read, beautifully illustrated rhyming book. A great tool to help young children understand and learn the many teachings of the Tipi.

Educator Information
Recommended for Grades 1 to 3.

Additional Information
Hardcover

Explore a forest with a curious classroom in this breathtaking new picture book, and experience the essential beauty of diversity in humanity and nature.

Joy and her peers are eager to visit a nearby forest for a class trip. But Joy's excitement quickly turns into anxiety when she is asked to choose one thing in the area for a school assignment.

Seeing her classmates connecting with the natural environment, Joy discovers how each of their choices reflect the ways they relate to and interact with the world.

Together, a Forest begins as an exciting journey into nature and blossoms into a meditation on how our unique personalities and ways of being help create a more vibrant and beautiful world. The forest reveals that everyone—including those of us with disabilities and neurodivergence—belong to nature. There is no one right way for a mind, body, or person to be.

Perfect for classrooms and home libraries with accessible social-emotional and STEM themes, this picture book highlights the importance of interdependence, inclusion and celebrating diversity in our communities.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 11.20" | Hardcover 

Journey with Turtle Hatchling on her search to find herself and her place in Creation. This book expresses children’s questions when they do not know their parents. It helps them tap into their identity, inner knowing, and Truth. It affirms the healing and belonging that comes through connection to the Land.

Educator Information
Recommended for Grade 3 students.

Additional Information
Hardcover

Go on an enchanting journey with The Twelve Days of Autumn, where each day reveals the wonders of wildlife and nature's vibrant transformations in this delightful seasonal twist on a classic tale!

This companion to Twelve Days of Winter is another book to read or sing along with children. In Twelve Days of Autumn, each day reveals the wonders of wildlife and nature's vibrant transformations as we ease into fall. Observe how animals prepare for colder months in this seasonal twist and reimagined version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” celebrating wildlife. "On the first day of autumn we looked around to see a wild turkey trotting down the trail."

Look for a curious turtle watching the changes come!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

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

Bahe and Dezba are helping their grandmother, Nali, move from her sheep camp home to their house. The family is packing up, carrying heavy boxes, and settling into a new life together, which isn’t always easy. At every frustration, they throw up their hands and exclaim, “Yaadila!” Good grief!

Bahe sees that this big change is hardest for Nali. But he has a secret plan. Whatever can he be doing with a bucket of water, all that yarn, and Dezba’s dollhouse?

In this heartwarming and quintessentially Navajo (Diné) story, author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian) and illustrator Jonathan Nelson (Diné) together show a big change for an Elder made easier with a creative gesture of love and care.

Reviews
"Exasperation and love go hand in hand in this humorous yarn....Diné words are sprinkled into the text and defined in a glossary. Though the narrative could have benefited from a fuller explanation of the titular term at the outset, young readers will understand “Yáadilá!” by book’s end and will be amused by the interplay between Bahe and the “Helpful Narrator,” who breaks the fourth wall with comic book–style interjections. Underscoring Diné language and heritage, the tale touches on family and homesickness in a context many will relate to." — Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

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

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

All That You Are is a series of heartwarming, affirmational picture books from author and illustrator Sarah-Anne Tourond.

Through lyrical text and watercolour illustrations, this series shares the teachings of the Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel to remind children of their connection to the world around them. Each book is inspired by one quadrant of the Medicine Wheel that represents an aspect of wellness—Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, or Mental. A diagram of the Medicine Wheel is included at the back of the books. Anishinaabe Connections are also included to share more about Anishinaabe art, culture, and traditions explored in the text and illustrations.

A percentage of proceeds from this series is donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society to support their efforts in advocacy for justice and healing. To find out more information, please visit https://www.irsss.ca/.

Books in the All That You Are Series include:

You Are Sacred – Connects to the Spiritual quadrant of the Medicine Wheel

You Are the Land – Connects to the Physical quadrant of the Medicine Wheel

Educator Information
Books in the All That You Are series are best suited for children ages 3 to 6 and make wonderful read-alouds in classrooms and homes.

Free lesson plans and activity sheets are available for each book.

Curriculum Connections:

Early Literacy – listening, reading, and discussing

Art – the rhythm and music of the world around us, traditional Anishinaabe clothing and art

Health and Wellness – focusing on breath and balance, self-affirmation

Science – harmonious ecosystems, biodiversity of plants and animals with Indigenous cultural importance, environmental awareness

Social Responsibility – uplifting others and ourselves

Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions – teachings of the Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel, the Seven Generations, and All Our Relations

Additional Information
Each book is 24 pages | 8” x 8” | Hardcover | Series ISBN: 978-1-77174-630-4