Browse Books for Kids

Curieuse d'en savoir davantage sur ses origines, une petite fille demande à son grand-père de prononcer un mot en langue crie. Celui-ci est attristé lorsqu'il réalise qu'il l'a oublié, conséquence de nombreuses années passées en école résidentielle. Il lui dit qu'il a « perdu les mots » lors de son passage là-bas, et elle décide donc de l'aider à les retrouver. 

Un récit touchant sur les relations intergénérationnelles et une initiation tout en délicatesse à la découverte d'un épisode plutôt sombre de l'histoire du Canada. 

Educator Information
This resource is also available in English as Stolen Words.

This resource is also available in English and Plains Cree as kimotinâniwiw itwêwina / Stolen Words

Recommended for ages 6+.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.54" x 8.52"

Aigle répartit sept savoirs fondamentaux parmi les animaux de la forêt, mais il oublie de mentionner une importante mise en garde; et ainsi, les animaux s’empêtrent dans la jalousie, la convoitise et l’égoïsme. Aigle se doit sauver les animaux et c’est ainsi qu’il est amené à découvrir le sens du savoir le plus important: la vérité.

Educator Information
This book is also available in English and Mi'kmaq as The Lost Teachings/ Panuijkatasikl Kina’masuti’l.

Additional Information
48 pages | 14.00" x 10.00"

Lila vient tout juste de déménager dans une nouvelle ville. Excitée à l'idée de se faire de nouveaux amis, elle est abasourdie lorsque, dès le premier jour d'école, un petit garçon montre du doigt ses cheveux couleur ébène et la traite de corneille. Les autres élèves chuchotent et ricanent, et le coeur de Lila devient lourd. Le jour suivant, Lila cache ses cheveux. Mais cette fois, le petit garçon montre du doigt sa peau foncée en riant. Et quand Lila cache sa peau, ce sont de ses yeux que le petit garçon se moque.

Lila aperçoit une corneille sur sa route. Elle tente de chasser l'oiseau, mais il semble l'attendre chaque soir. Doucement, cet oiseau si sombre donnera un peu d'espoir à Lila et lui insufflera le courage d'être elle-même et de briller.

Une histoire poignante sur l'intimidation et sur l'acceptation de nos différences et de celles des autres.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 - 8.

This resource is also available in English as Lila and the Crow.

Subjects/Themes: diversity; self-esteem; conflict resolution; Native peoples; prejudice; bullying; school; animals

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.94" x 8.96"

When Malaika moves to Canada, there’s a lot to get used to, especially Carnival in the wintertime!

Malaika is happy to be reunited with Mummy, but it means moving to Canada, where everything is different. It’s cold in Québec City, no one understands when she talks and Carnival is nothing like the celebration Malaika knows from home!

When Mummy marries Mr. Frédéric, Malaika gets a new sister called Adèle. Her new family is nice, but Malaika misses Grandma. She has to wear a puffy purple coat, learn a new language and get used to calling this new place home. Things come to a head when Mummy and Mr. Frédéric take Malaika and Adèle to a carnival. Malaika is dismayed that there are no colorful costumes and that it’s nothing like Carnival at home in the Caribbean! She is so angry that she kicks over Adèle’s snow castle, but that doesn’t make her feel any better. It takes a video chat with Grandma to help Malaika see the good things about her new home and family.

Nadia L. Hohn’s prose, written in a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois, tells a warm story about the importance of family, especially when adjusting to a new home. 

Reviews
"Hohn contrasts Caribbean and Canadian cultures tenderly, with deep understanding of both, and she and Luxbacher have created a sweet, immersive and loving book that will benefit both young new arrivals to a country and those just meeting them." — Kirkus Reviews, July 2017

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6
With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

Additional Information
36 pages | 10.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

The holiday season has always been a very special time for Métis families. A family-oriented people, the Métis often didn’t have money to buy expensive presents, but instead made practical items with much love. In this spirit, award-winning author and illustrator, Leah Marie Dorion takes readers back to the Métis tradition of making mittens for loved ones. Métis Christmas Mittens is a touching ode to Métis family life is accompanied by Leah’s distinctive and evocative art.

Educator Information
Michif Translation by Norman Fleury 
Format: English/Michif

A long time ago, the Great Spirit created all of the sky and stars but it wasn't enough. He then made a beautiful place called Minegoo, a place so beautiful that He almost placed it amongst the stars. He decided that instead, he would place Minegoo in the most beautiful spot on earth. He summoned Kluskap and asked him to find this spot. After searching the whole world, Kluskap found the Shining Waters, the spot in the Gulf of St. Lawrence that would be home of the Mi'kmaq people created in his own image.

Review
"Minegoo would be an excellent way to introduce young people to the stories of the Mi'kmaq people." – Allison Giggey in CM Magazine

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5-8 (kindergarten to grade 3).

This Mi'kmaq creation story is retold and illustrated by Sandra L. Dodge. Translated into Mi'kmaq by Georgina Francis.

Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2019-2020 resource list as being useful for grades K-3 in these subject areas: English Language Arts and Social Studies. 

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"

The Raven Series is a set of six books written for the emergent reader and learner. Each book focuses on a specific learning intention that builds on strengthening learning with the support of an adult.

The titles and their learning intentions are:

• Raven and the Box: promotes an oral retell
• Raven and Duck: basic concepts
• Raven Can Count: number recognition
• I Spy Raven: rhyme and perspective
• Raven Learns the ABC's: letter recognition, vocabulary building
• Raven Makes a Necklace: colours and patterns

These 3"X4" books are great for young readers just learning how to read.

The Big Book Raven Series can be found in the Raven Series Category.

Additional Information
Each book has 8 pages | ISBN 9781771745987

“We are all visitors to this land, our land has so much to offer, our land is overflowing with the medicines our bodies need, but we are only passing through. With respect, our purpose is to watch, to learn, to grow, to love, to teach. Then we will return home.” – Caroline Sanoffsky

Muskgege is a written record of traditional knowledge, passed down through the generations. It features descriptions and illustrations of 36 wild plants that can be used to make medicines. It is a beautiful and compelling reminder of the important role nature plays in First Nations culture.

Educator Information
Grades 6 and under.

Nimoshom loved to drive the school bus. Every day, on the way to and from school, he had something to say. Sometimes, he told the kids silly stories. Sometimes, he taught the kids a new word in Cree.

Nimoshom and His Bus introduces basic Cree words. A glossary is included in the back of the book.

Reviews
"Through accessible language and engaging visual resources, readers are introduced to basic Cree as Nimoshom responds in this language to the children who ride his bus.... The illustrator’s varying the visuals between full double spreads and single page illustrations keeps the pacing lively. Amidst a rural fall setting, with woodland animals, children, and the school bus, Nimoshom’s humorous nature shines through these gentle illustrations. At the end of this story, you just want to give Nimoshom a great big hug!"
— Anita Miettunen, CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"In this bilingual book, readers follow a bus driver picking up kids and dropping them off before and after school. Like the students on the bus, readers quickly learn that the driver's native language is Cree, and he often speaks to them in his native language. Readers learn that "Nimoshom" means "my grandfather" and that "Ekosani" means thank you" as the author (of Cree descent herself) weaves Cree words into the text, and each new spread almost feels like a gentle wave: yes, we're subtly learning new words, but it never feels strenuous or forced, rather it's calm and poetic."
— Let's Talk Picture Books

"While Penny M. Thomas' story is not a plot-driven allegory or a message-based lesson, Nimoshom and His Bus is a sweet introduction to some simple Cree words in the context of a common-place activity for many children.... Karen Hibbard who uses watercolours and pastels to create a gentle background for Nimoshom's day on his bus gives the story a grassroots mood, highly appropriate for a routine day of activity and interaction for this bus driver and his charges. It's very relatable."
— Helen Kubiw, CanLit for Little Canadians

"If you're a regular reader of AICL, you know that we're always delighted by books by Native writers--especially ones set in the present. Books like Nimoshom and His Bus provide Native children with mirrors that non-Native children find in abundance.... I highly recommend Nimoshom and His Bus! It'd be a simple thing to use other Native words in addition to--or instead of--the Cree words in the book.
— Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-9 / grades K-4.

Recommended for Grades K-4 for the following subject areas: English Language Arts, Social Studies. 

Additional Information
24 pages | 9.00" x 7.00"

A young child, her grandmother and mother are going out to pick wild yarrow. As Grandmother gets ready, the child and her mom wait. Grandmother leads the way to the field of blossoms, where they can finally start to pick … only now they have to wait for Mom!

The simple story, written in Cree and English and accompanied by rich acrylic illustrations, shows the patience, love and humor involved as three generations accommodate one another on a family outing. nipêhon / ᓂᐯᐦᐅᐣ / I Wait was translated by Leona Morin-Neilson, who was the inspiration for the book.

This companion volume to niwîcihâw / I Help includes a recipe for yarrow tea, known for its refreshing and soothing effects.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 4-7

This book is written in Cree (the Y dialect) and English. The Cree language is represented in two forms -- standard roman orthography and syllabics.

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"

Tim Tingle's first novel in the contemporary No Name series depicts the struggles of Choctaw teen Bobby Byington. A strong-willed and determined high school basketballer, Bobby must carve a path through the dark world of his father's alcoholism and angry nature. In the second book, No More No Name, Bobby's mother returns home, and Bobby's basketball team, galvanized by his impressive shooting skills, begins to win. But trouble looms when his father's cravings resurface "Son, I hope you never fully understand what I'm going through. Every day, every hour, every minute. An owl claws on me from inside my chest. The desire to have one-just one more drink-that is the owl."

Series Information
This is the second book in the No Name series, which is part of the PathFinders series. The PathFinders series of Hi-Lo (high interest, low readability) novels offers the following features: 

• Indigenous teen protagonists
• Age appropriate plots
• 2.5 – 4.5 Reading Level
• Contemporary and historical fiction
• Indigenous authors

The PathFinders series is from an American publisher. Therefore, Indigenous terminology in the PathFinders books is not the same as Canadian Indigenous terminology. This prompts a useful teaching moment for educators in discussing appropriate terminology use in Canada.  The recommended ages for books in the PathFinders series are 12-16.

Additional Information
168 pages | 4.50" x 7.00"

Noki est un W8bi et vit sur une étoile baladeuse. Un jour, sa grand-mère Wligo lui propose d’aller visiter le Pays Vert et de lui ramener une belle pierre rouge. Il descend alors de son étoile et rejoint le pays dont il admire la couleur. Durant son voyage de sept jours, Noki rencontre de nouveaux amis, mais aussi de malicieux et fripons personnages…

Additonal Information
Juvenile Fiction

Discover the amazing story of how an ordinary girl became the mother of sea mammals.

This book shares the traditional Inuit myth of Nuliajuk, the legendary mother of sea mammals. The story of Nuliajuk teaches children even today how important it is to respect nature.

Educator 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. Nuliajuk is a Level 12 book in the series.

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

Recommended for ages 6-8.

Additional Information
28 pages | 9.00" x 9.00"

Based on a story from Nâlungiaq, as recorded by Knud Rasmussen.

How has life in Nunavut changed since 100 years ago? How is it the same? See the changing face of Nunavut from about a hundred years ago to today.

This non-fiction book teaches children about how places change over time. Archival and modern photographs of different places in the territory support the text.

Educator 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. Nunavut Then and Now is a Level 12 book in the series.

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Nunavut Then and Now's F&P Level is Q.

Recommended for ages 6-8.

Additional Information
24 pages | 7.00" x 9.00"

This book explores oral traditions and storytelling. 

Educator Information
Juvenile Nonfiction

Indigenous Consultant: Agnes Pawlowska-Mainville. 

Table of Contents
Chapter One - Knowledge Keepers
Chapter Two - Origin Stories
Chapter Three - History and Place Names
Chapter Four - Remembering Oral Traditions
Chapter Five - Recalling History through Song
Chapter Six - Contemporary Voices and Storytelling

Glossary
To Learn More
Index
About the Author 

Additional Information
32 Pages