Picture Books

From these hands, old to new, a tradition of love passes through.

In Alaska, Fall is moose season. When the hunt is over, the community comes together to transform the raw moose hide into something truly special, step by step, with the work of many hands.

From stretching and scraping to making brain stew, each part of the process is a celebration! With humor and heart, debut author Karina Iceberg (Aleut/Alutiiq) and award-winning illustrator Natasha Donovan (Métis) share a resonant message of gratitude, community, and shared knowledge as an intertribal Native Alaskan community works together to tan a moose hide.

Features author's note and a note from Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.5" x 11" | Hardcover

Using the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings, this picture book by acclaimed author Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) and debut Diné (Navajo) artist Nanibah Chacon introduces universal values for living with loving recognition of a child’s own inner goodness.

Each of us has an inner light that might not always be seen by others. Aaniin (ah-NEEN) is a greeting in the Ojibwe language for hello and can also be translated as “I see your light.”

With the help of the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings—Love, Respect, Bravery, Truth, Honesty, Humility, and Wisdom—we can learn to see this brilliance shining through everyone and express our appreciation for one another’s light.

Includes an author's note and a note from Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 9" x 11" | Hardcover 

Joyful and warmhearted, this delightful book honors the blessings of every auntie in a child’s life, by distinguished author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) and illustrator Aphelandra (Oneida).

“Hesci! Here come the aunties!”

Aunts by kinship as well as family friends, neighbors, and community members all step up to fill the important role of “auntie.” They are there for life’s joys, sorrows, and celebrations, bringing their own special love.

A wonderful gift from or for a treasured auntie!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.5" x 11" | Hardcover 

Jenny's Concrete Powwow tells the story of a young Indigenous girl that attends her very first Powwow. Jenny doesn't want to go because she would much rather be home in the city with her friends, but once she arrives at the reserve, she begins to feel a deep-rooted connection to nature, the Powwow, and the community. The next day, Jenny realizes that while the city is busy and full of people, she does not feel that same connection. She spots a crow flying down the street and follows it to the park, where she is inspired to find that same spark of cultural connection she felt at the Powwow within herself.

This unique and beautifully illustrated book addresses the challenges of urban Indigenous experience, validates the feeling of cultural identity disconnect, and considers ways to regain that connection. Through the beauty, joy, and spirit of powwows, Jenny demonstrates how children can take action to reclaim their Indigenous identity and pride.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 7 to 9.

Additional Information
32 pages | 11" x 8.5" | Hardcover 

Renowned author Nikki Grimes and debut picture book writer Stacy Wells (Choctaw) lend their resonant voices to award-winning artist E. B. Lewis’s (Lenni Lenape) rich watercolors in this story of a Black Choctaw boy who finds strength in the example and history of his ancestors.

When Dante struggles with nightmares, his mother believes learning his family’s history will help him cope. The roots on both sides of his family tree run deep, with stories of survival through events Dante’s mother calls “daymares.”

Taking discovering his heritage into his own hands, Dante finds out hard truths—but also a love that shines through generations and, finally, a strength to sleep through the night.

Features author and illustrator notes, historical references, a glossary, and a note from Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 11.00" | Hardcover 

Using age-appropriate and empathetic language, Tess’s Red Dress introduces young children to Red Dress Day and the importance of remembering the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirit People. Backmatter pages include resources to support parents and educators through this important and difficult conversation with their children.

Six-year-old Tess is excited to welcome her new baby sibling into the world! She asks her mom what it was like growing up with a sibling. Tess’s mom tells her stories about baking in the kitchen, singing loudly in the bathtub, sharing a bedroom, and braiding her sister’s hair.

Despite their excitement over their growing family, they have experienced loss: her Auntie is one of the missing. The loss of any family member makes a drastic change for those left behind and the generations to come. As the family gets ready for the Red Dress Day march, Tess's mom and dad show her how to honour her Auntie by wearing her red dress and keeping the stories and memories of her family alive.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Additional Information
32 pages | 11" x 8.5" | Hardcover 

When the mighty oak whispers, you will hear
That our loved ones are still very near.

The Trees Talk is a lyrical poem that teaches children about the wisdom of the trees. When our loved ones pass on to the next world, author Jennifer Scott encourages us to sit with the trees. They carry messages from our ancestors for each of us, if we just take the time to listen.

Sweeping and lush paintings by Carla Joseph move readers through a journey to learn about the relationship between our ancestors and the nature around us.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Additional Information
32 pages | 11" x 8.5" | Hardcover 

Observe animals and celebrate wildlife in this seasonal twist and reimagined version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” In Twelve Days of Spring, each day reveals the wonders of wildlife and nature's vibrant transformations as we ease into spring.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

This book is part of the Twelve Days Series.

A rabbit hops through the pages of Twelve Days of Spring.

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

A joyful exploration of a child’s loving relationship with the land that supports and nurtures her as she grows

You Are the Land is a vivid ode to belonging within a family, within a community, and within the natural world.

From the day she’s born, a child feels the love and power that come with being part of something bigger. She’s a new spring leaf, alive and growing, as strong as the ancient cedars and as radiant as the glittering night sky. She is one with the amazing forces of nature that surround and nurture her, and that she nurtures in return.

Through inspiring words and sweeping illustrations, renowned artist Steph Littlebird’s stunning debut celebrates our connection to the land and shows how we perfectly mirror its beauty and resilience.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 10.50" | Hardcover 

All My Relations is a rhyming story of appreciation for the connections and relationships we have to the world around us. This book creates opportunities for conversations and connections with Mother Earth and each other; The Swimmers, The Crawlers, The Four-Legged, The Two-Legged, and All Our Relations.

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 1 to 3.

Additional Information
14 Pages | Hardcover 

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

A boy says farewell to a loved one as he imagines her walking on into her next journey, a moving and superbly illustrated story about loss and hope by Fry Bread author Kevin Noble Maillard and illustrated by acclaimed, award-winning artist Rafael López.

When a young boy’s grandmother walks on, he wonders where she’s gone.

Did she go to the market to buy ripe melons? Or maybe she’s in the garden, watering her herbs?

It feels like she’s somewhere far away, so the boy finds new ways to share stories about his day, hoping she can hear him.

Even her house feels like it’s waiting for her return. Then as the boy approaches the kitchen, the scent and memories of her cooking assure him that no matter where she is, her love will always be close by.

Because when someone walks on, they stay with us. They grow in our hearts and guide us as we walk in their footsteps.

Award-winning author of Fry Bread, Kevin Noble Maillard, breathes life and love into this intimate picture book about loss, with illustrations from renowned, best-selling artist, Rafael López.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

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

When a young boy’s grandmother walks on, he wonders where she’s gone.

Did she go to the market to buy ripe melons? Or maybe she’s in the garden, watering her herbs?

It feels like she’s somewhere far away, so the boy finds new ways to share stories about his day, hoping she can hear him.

Even her house feels like it’s waiting for her return. Then as the boy approaches the kitchen, the scent and memories of her cooking assure him that no matter where she is, her love will always be close by.

Because when someone walks on, they stay with us. They grow in our hearts and guide us as we walk in their footsteps.

Award-winning author of Fry Bread, Kevin Noble Maillard, breathes life and love into this intimate picture book about loss, with illustrations from renowned, best-selling artist, Rafael López.

The story follows a wəlastəkewi skitap (man) named Askəmawsit along with his friends, Mahtəkwehs and Kahkakohs. It is the story of his quest of finding long lost Kelowəskap, in hopes that he can grant Askəmawsit’s biggest wish to live forever.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.25" x 7.25" | Paperback 

Aurora is a brave and resourceful Inuk girl. When her family goes missing while on a hunting trip, she embarks on a perilous mission to find them. In her travels Aurora must face both the harsh Arctic elements and her own fears, but she does not do so alone: she finds allies in a mother polar bear, Mama Nanuk, and her cubs. Once she is home and reunited with her parents, Aurora’s story of grit and determination becomes an inspiration to the people in her village. Beautifully illustrated by the author, Aurora’s Journey is a celebration of individual resilience in the face of tough times.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

Additional Information
26 pages | 9.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover 

Celebrate the 35th anniversary of this beloved holiday classic with a fresh edition that preserves the magic of the original story and brings it to life with stunning new illustrations.

The year is 1955. Arvaarluk and his friends watch Rocky Parsons land his plane on the ice in Repulse Bay, a tiny community “smack dab on the Arctic Circle.” Having never seen trees before, the children try to guess what the six green spindly things are that Rocky delivers. One of the boys has a brilliant idea: why not use them as baseball bats?

Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak is one of Canada’s foremost storytellers. Baseball Bats for Christmas captures the warmth and cadence of his voice as he describes the close-knit life of his community and the ingenuity he and his friends demonstrated when faced with something wholly unfamiliar.

Award-winning Inuk illustrator Coco Apunnguaq Lynge draws inspiration from the iconic work of Inuk artist Germaine Arnaktauyok to immerse the reader in the beauty of the Arctic landscape.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Themes: Inuit; Arctic; community; multicultural; friends; resourcefulness. 

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 10.75" | Hardcover