Browse Books for Kids

Educator Information
You Are Sacred is a perfect read-aloud for children ages 3 to 6 in both classrooms and homes. 

Curriculum Connections:
Early Literacy – listening, reading, and discussing

Art – 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 

Series Information
You Are Sacred is the first book in the All That You Are series. 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.

You Are the Land is the second book in the series.

A percentage of proceeds from the All That You Are 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/.

Additional Information
24 Pages | 8" x 8" | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77174-629-8

A mother. A story. A curious child.

“How did I get in your belly?” a child asks his mother. “Well, it’s a magical story...” she tells him. In this lyrical love letter from mother to son, a woman reflects on her journey to motherhood. From learning to care for others to honouring family members through Inuit naming practices, this touching book celebrates all the ways in which a child is loved.

Written by Inuit author, throat singer, and filmmaker Tanya Snow, You Come From the Stars showcases a mother's tenderness for her child against the backdrop of the stunning Arctic tundra.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

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

Coauthored by one of the grandsons of Mahatma Gandhi, this gentle guide to cultivating peace will find a welcome place at home and in classrooms.

Peace is you. Peace is me.
Peace is the great big WE of community.

Where can we find peace? It shows in the way we walk, stand, or form a circle. It can be found when we play or dig in the garden, speak up or ask for help, or sit still and listen to the silence. Whether we’re learning, taking turns, or getting past hurt feelings and misunderstandings, peace is always there, as long as we look at one another, ready to discover. Drawing on the philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi and educator Maria Montessori, coauthors Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus offer an inviting primer brought to life through the warm, wondrous illustrations of Colombian artist Andrés Landazábal. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “If we are to teach real peace in this world . . . we shall have to begin with children.” You, Me, We does just that, as it celebrates the peace that can be found in us all.

Reviews
"Peace takes center stage in this picture book co-authored by the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. . . . Soft, gentle artwork with a cotton-candy feeling infuses the narrative with warmth and depicts the students playing, meditating, and sharing. . . a good starting point to spark discussions about peace and community-building. . . Will encourage young readers to give peace a chance." —Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 6.

Additional Information
32 pages | 11.00" x 9.38" | Hardcover

No one knows how a suit of samurai armour ended up in the Fort Smith museum. When a mysterious stranger turns up to claim it, Sonny, a young Tłı̨chǫ Dene boy, is eager to help.

Shinobu has travelled to Fort Smith, NWT, to reclaim his grandfather’s samurai sword and armour. But when he discovers that the sword was lost in a poker game, he must confront the man known as Benny the Bank. Along the way, Shinobu must rely on unlikely heroes—Sonny, his grandmother, and a visitor from the spirit world. Together, they face Benny and his men, including the giant they call Flinch.

Will Shinobu be able to regain the lost sword and, with it, his family’s honour? Can Sonny and his grandmother help Shinobu while keeping the peace in their community?

Now in full colour, this new edition includes additional background information and cultural context. Learn about the real-life inspiration behind the story and the intersections between Indigenous and Japanese Canadian experiences during the Second World War.

Educator & Series Information
This work is part of the Debwe Series, which is created in the spirit of the Anishinaabe concept debwe (to speak the truth), The Debwe Series is a collection of exceptional Indigenous writings from across Canada.

This book is part of the The Spirit of Denendeh series.

The publisher recommends this title for ages 15 to 18.

Additional Information
56 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | 2nd Edition | Paperback

What letter does the word bee start with?
If you said "B" you're right – in English!
But in many, many languages, it actually starts with A.
Bee is Anū in Igbo,
Aamoo in Ojibwe,
Abelha in Portugese.
And Ari in Turkish.

Come and explore the gorgeous variations in the ways we talk about familiar things, unified and illuminated through Ellen Heck's eye-catching, graphic scratchboard details and hidden letterforms.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 9.

Includes some Indigenous words.

Additional Information
40 pages | 7.75 x 10.5 | Hardcover 

A Little Plains Cree Book for Children contains useful noun categories, phrases, and some basic rules for the Plains Cree language. Following the themes of the Saskatchewan Curriculum Guide for Kindergarten to Grade 12 on Aboriginal Languages, the content focuses on terms familiar to the First Nations Cree people of Saskatchewan. This book should also be supplemented by total physical response (TPR) methods, in addition to teaching materials such as songs, games, and flash cards. Our hope is to encourage a basic understanding of the language so that learners are able to converse with Plains Cree speakers. The best path to fluency in the Plains Cree language is immersion, but learning one word at a time is a good place to start!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5+

A teaching guide can be found here: nēhiyawēwin awāsi-masinahikanis: A Little Plains Cree Book for Children—Teaching Guide

Find a colouring book here: A Little Plains Cree Colouring Book: Plains Cree People

Additional Information
96 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Paperback

Written and illustrated in the tradition of the Kwantlen people, Joseph Dandurand's second book is an endearing tale of two sisters and their connection with nature.

In the water sat a sturgeon, born there, so they say, thousands of years ago, though the sturgeon themselves have been here for two hundred million years. It was at first a little egg, a big egg, born into the river. Now the sturgeon is back but how did it get here? How did the first sturgeon come to be? Earth and the river, moons and suns and clouds. Time, thousands of years and the Skwó:wech has seen it all. But what gift does the sturgeon have for us?

So begins this second charming story for children by Kwantlen storyteller Joseph Dandurand. The sturgeon, spirit of the great river, eludes human fishers until two young sisters neglect to follow their mother’s instructions. What follows provides a moving exploration of the importance of sharing and kinship with all other living things.

The story is told with grace and simplicity by a master storyteller in the great tradition of the Kwantlen people. Accompanied by Elinor Atkins’s illustrations, A Magical Sturgeon is a touching follow-up to Dandurand’s bestselling children’s book The Sasquatch, the Fire and the Cedar Baskets.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This is the second book in the Kwantlen Stories Then and Now series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.00" x 8.50" | Paperback

Matt is excited to join Junior Rangers and go on their spring hunting trip. During drills, an older ranger, Chaz, praises Matt's skills, and he jumps at the chance to hang out with Chaz. But when Chaz and his friends start making fun of a fellow ranger with less hunting experience, Matt feels pressured to join in. Matt doesn't want to bully anyone, but he doesn't want to be called a loser either. As his new behaviour pushes another friend away, and Matt sees his actions have consequences, he learns what being a real friend actually looks like.

Educator & Series Information
Graphic novel recommended for ages 9 to 11.

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 15-16 book in the series. 

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. F&P Level of this book: O.

This book is also part of the Social Emotional Learning Series from Nunavummi. These books feature thoughtful, engaging stories that teach children to identify and regulate their emotions in healthy ways.

Additional Information
52 pages | 7.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Wahwahbiginojii David Anderson's A Winter Celebration is a heartwarming story about what might have happened during the first winter celebration when an Anishinaabe family and a Christian family gathered together on this Land to celebrate the winter season. At this time of year, both cultures celebrate in their own way. A book about how two cultures and two traditions can come together in a way that is respectful, responsible and builds relationships.

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 4 to 6.

Additional Information
24 Pages | Hardcover 

A vivid dream teaches Little Wolf about courage and acceptance of those who are different, and inspires her to show her daughters and their classmates how to be proud of their diverse cultural backgrounds.

Throughout her life, Little Wolf has been troubled by the injustice she sees all around her. When she was young, she was bullied for her Indigenous heritage. Her mother, White Raven, spent ten years in a residential school, separated from her family and isolated from her culture. Little Wolf’s own children are growing up in a different, more open society, but hatred and racism still exist. Little Wolf worries about the world her daughters will inherit. One night, a vivid dream helps her realize her own strength as a leader and peacemaker in her community. Told with powerful imagery and symbolism, Abalone Woman is the third book in the Little Wolf series, which presents themes of racism, trauma, and family unity through relatable, age-appropriate narratives.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This is the third book in the Little Wolf series.

This book is available in French: Femme Ormeau

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Paperback 

A thoughtful first glimpse into the world of marine mammals--from the small, playful sea otter to the gigantic blue whale.

With beautifully detailed illustrations, About Marine Mammals tells children what is essential for understanding and appreciating marine mammals. An afterword, which includes a glossary and recommended books and websites, provides further detail for children and their parents about a wide variety of marine mammals.

Former teacher Cathryn Sill and noted wildlife illustrator John Sill, use clear, informative text and illustrations to explain to children what marine mammals are, what they do, and how they live.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

This book is a part of the About Habitats series.

Additional Information
48 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Paperback

An informative and entertaining introduction for young children to the amazing birds that live near water in all types of habitats.

In this addition to the About… series, award-winning author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what waterfowl are, where they live, what they eat, and how they move.

John Sill’s detailed, full-color illustrations show the characteristics of different types of waterfowl—from the Trumpeter Swans of northwestern North America to the Bar-headed Geese of central Asia.

Young learners who may only be familiar with the ducklings and geese on local ponds and lakes will be delighted to discover the amazing variety of waterfowl in the world. A glossary and afterword provide further fascinating details about waterfowl that will inspire readers to learn more.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

This book is a part of the About Habitats series.

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

After his parents are brutally murdered, Ahiahia is raised by his grandmother in a camp surrounded by enemies. His grandmother knows that eventually the camp will turn on Ahiahia, just as it did his parents, so she chants a protection chant over the clothing that she lovingly sews for him, over the amulet and necklace she gives him, even over the dog that is his companion. When he is attacked, Ahiahia must use his agility, hunting skills, and the protection imparted by his grandmother to stay alive. This traditional story is retold by Kugaaruk Elder Levi Illuitok, and illustrated in a comic book style by Nate Wells, giving life to an ancient story for new generations to enjoy.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+

This traditional story is retold by Kugaaruk Elder Levi Illuitok, and illustrated in a comic book style by Nate Wells, giving life to an ancient story for new generations to enjoy.

Mature content (death, fighting).

Additional Information
36 pages | 7.00" x 10.50" | Hardcover 

When a new family moves in, the whole neighborhood comes together to celebrate their diverse community in this uplifting new book from the bestselling creators of All Are Welcome!

Let’s go walking down our street.
Friends and neighbors here to greet.
There are oh so many folks to meet.
We all are neighbors here.

Moving to a new place can be hard, but when your neighbors welcome you with open arms, there are so many things to discover and celebrate. Come along with the kids from the bestseller All Are Welcome as they introduce the new kid to a community where everyone has a place and is loved and appreciated—no matter what.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This book is available in French: Mes voisins, mon quartier.

Additional Information
44 pages | 10.38" x 10.31" | Hardcover

A Rocky Cree girl must choose the skill that will define her miskanaw, the path of her life, in the second book of The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series.

Rocky Cree people understand that all children are born with four gifts or talents. When a child is old enough, they decide which gift, or mīthikowisiwin, they will seek to master. With her sapotawan ceremony fast approaching, Amō must choose her mīthikowisiwin. Her sister, Pīsim, became a midwife; others gather medicines or harvest fish. But none of those feel quite right.

Amō has always loved making things. Her uncle can show her how to make nipisiwata, willow baskets. Her grandmother can teach her how to make kwakwāywata, birchbark containers and plates. Her auntie has offered to begin Amō’s apprenticeship in making askihkwak, pottery.

What will Amō’s mīthikowisiwin be? Which skill should she choose? And how will she know what is right for her?

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 11.

This is the second book in The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series.

Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell X

Includes some Cree language.

Additional Information
60 pages | 10.00" x 12.00" | Hardcover