Picture Books: 2021 Releases

Jeffrey Ansloos (Cree) and Shezza Ansloos (Cree)

Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe)

When the world gets too loud and chaotic, a young boy’s grandfather helps him listen with wonder instead. Kids laughing, sneakers squeaking, balls bouncing—for Thunder, the sounds of the school day often brew into overwhelming noise storms. But when Thunder’s mosom asks him what he hears on an urban nature walk, Thunder starts to understand how sounds like bird wings flapping and rushing water can help him feel calm and connected. Illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley emphasize Mosom’s lessons about the healing power of the world around us.

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Barbara Atwater (Dena’ina) and Ethan Atwater (Dena’ina)

Mindy Dwyer

Life is hard for Chia. His village doesn’t have enough food and every day there are many chores to do. Chia always goes to bed hungry and tired, until one day in the middle of the night he wakes to a strange noise. He decides to investigate―and meets the legendary Fox Man. Will the Fox Man be able to help Chia and his village?

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Bronwyn Bancroft (Bundjalung)

Bronwyn Bancroft (Bundjalung)

From gorges that plummet into serpentine shadows to cloaks of white that drape the rocky crags of snowy mountains, The Art in Country celebrates the wonders of Australia. Through colors, shapes, patterns, and words, Bronwyn Bancroft explores the awe-inspiring beauty of the continent and expresses the depth of her feelings for it. This collection brings together four of Bancroft’s picture books: Colours of Australia, Shapes of Australia, Why I Love Australia, and Patterns of Australia.

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Lisa Boivin (Deninu Kue First Nation)

Lisa Boivin (Deninu Kue First Nation)

When a little girl dreams about a bear, her grandfather explains how people connect with the knowledge of our ancestors through our dreams. Bear, Hawk, Caribou, and Wolf all have teachings to share to help her, and us, live a good life. But when her grandfather gets sick and falls into a coma, she must lean on his teachings as she learns to say goodbye.

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Nicola I. Campbell (Nlaka’pamux, Syilx/Interior Salish, and Métis)

Carrielynn Victor (Lower Fraser Salish)

When you go for a walk in nature, who do you see? What do you hear? Follow along as a young Indigenous girl takes a journey through the wilderness. She admires the varied sights and sounds of her environment, absorbs the lessons taught by animals, and reflects on the importance of honoring her heritage and the lands of her family.

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Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk) and Nancy K. Mays

Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe)

When Sharice Davids was young, she never thought she’d be in Congress. And she never thought she’d be one of the first Native American women in Congress. During her campaign, she heard from a lot of doubters—they said she couldn’t win because of how she looked, who she loved, and where she came from. But everyone’s path looks different and everyone’s path has obstacles. And this is the remarkable story of Sharice’s path to Congress.

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Sara Florence Davidson (Haida) and Robert Davidson (Haida/Tlingit)

Janine Gibbons (Haida Raven of the Double-Fin Killer Whale Clan)

Off the northern tip of Haida Gwaii, a boy goes fishing with Tsinii, his grandfather. Together, they watch the weather, jig for halibut, and row with the tides. Soon, the boy realizes there’s more to learn from Tsinii than how to catch a fish.

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Sara Florence Davidson (Haida) and Robert Davidson (Haida/Tlingit)

Janine Gibbons (Haida Raven of the Double-Fin Killer Whale Clan)

Learning to carve is a lifelong journey. With the help of his father and grandfather, a boy on Haida Gwaii practises to become a skillful carver. As he carefully works on a new piece, he remembers a trip to Slatechuck Mountain to gather the argillite, as well as his father’s words about the importance of looking back to help us find our way.

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Deborah L. Delaronde (Métis)

Sheldon Dawson

When a young boy is assigned a project about the fur trade by his teacher, he doesn’t know who to turn to because his mom works all day. With help from his grandfather and the internet, he travels back in time and learns about the history of the fur trade. The boy discovers how the fur trade began, a new people emerged, the Métis’ role in the trade, Louis Riel and the Red River Resistance, and the reason behind the holiday named Louis Riel Day.

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Anna Harber Freeman (Osage Nation) and Barbara Gonzales (San Ildefonso Pueblo)

Aphelandra (Oneida/Filipino)

The most renowned Native American Indian potter of her time, Maria Povika Martinez learned pottery as a child under the guiding hands of her ko-ōo, her aunt. She grew up to discover a new firing technique that turned her pots black and shiny, and made them—and Maria—famous. This book tells the story of how Maria, through her love of clay, brought success and joy from her New Mexico Pueblo to people all across the country.

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Julie Flett (Cree-Métis)

Julie Flett (Cree-Métis)

Animals and kids love to play. This book celebrates playtime and the connection between children and the natural world. The illustrations show birds who chase and chirp, bears who wiggle and wobble, whales who swim and squirt, and a diverse group of kids who love to do the same, shouting: We play too! / kimêtawânaw mîna! At the end of the book, animals and children alike gently fall asleep after a fun day of playing outside.

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Suzanne Greenlaw (Maliseet) and Gabriel Frey (Passamaquoddy)

Nancy Baker

A modern Wabanaki girl is excited to accompany her grandmother for the first time to harvest sweetgrass for basket making. As she learns to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses, she is also challenged to overcome her impatience. Slowly, the spirit and peace of her surroundings speak to her, and she gathers sweetgrass as her ancestors have done for centuries, leaving the first blade she sees to grow for future generations.

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Deidre Havrelock (Saddle Lake Cree Nation)

Azby Whitecalf (Plains Cree)

Since Declan was born, his kokum has shared her love of buffalo through stories and art. But Declan longs to see real buffalo. Then one magical night, herds of the majestic creatures stampede down from the sky. That’s when things really get wild!

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Deborah Kigjugalik (Inuit)

Natasha Donovan (Métis)

What is it like growing up in Nunavut? This book introduces children to the memoir genre and describes different activities the author did when she was growing up as an Inuit girl in Nunavut.

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Denise Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe)

Angela Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Chippewa)

Josie dreams of dancing at next summer’s powwow. But first she needs many special things: a dress, a shawl, a cape, leggings, moccasins, and, perhaps most important of all, her spirit name. To gather all these essential pieces, she calls on her mom, her aunty, her kookum, and Grandma Greatwalker, who have the skills to prepare Josie for her powwow debut. As the months go by, she is nervous about her performance and about all the pieces falling into place, but she knows her family is there to support her. At her first dance, Josie finds the powwow circle to be a welcoming space, and when she receives her name, she knows it’s just right. Wrapped in the love of her community, Josie dances to honor her ancestors.

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Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation)

Ying Hwa Hu and Cornelius Van Wright

Jenna, a contemporary Native American girl, loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared over generations in her family and intertribal community. She hopes to dance at the next powwow. But with the day quickly approaching, she has a problem—how will her dress sing if it has no jingles? Turning to her aunties for help, Jenna learns to make her dress jingle through the support of her family and community.

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Brittany Luby (Anishinaabe-kwe)

Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe)

An Anishinaabe child and her grandmother explore the natural wonders of each season in this bilingual story-poem. The reader accompanies them through warm summer days full of wildflowers, bees and blueberries, and into fall, when bears feast before hibernation and forest mushrooms are ripe for harvest. Winter mornings begin in darkness as deer, mice and other animals search for food, while spring brings green shoots poking through melting snow and the chirping of peepers. In each season, the child and her grandmother take pleasure in the natural world and the familiar sights of its rhythms.

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David A. Robertson (Norway House Cree)

Julie Flett (Cree-Métis)

A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning to Moshom. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. As they embark on their northern journey, the child repeatedly asks his grandfather, “Is this your trapline?” Along the way, the boy finds himself imagining what life was like two generations ago—a life that appears to be both different from and similar to his life now.

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Tasha Spillett-Sumner (Cree/Trinidadian)

Michaela Goade (Tlingit/Haida)

As she waits for the arrival of her new baby, a mother-to-be gathers gifts to create a sacred bundle. A white feather, cedar and sage, a stone from the river… Each addition to the bundle will offer the new baby strength and connection to tradition, family, and community. As they grow together, mother and baby will each have gifts to offer each other.

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Sunshine Tenasco (Anishinaabe)

Chief Lady Bird (Rama First Nation)

When Nibi, an Indigenous girl, turns the tap in her house, only mucky brown water comes out. That starts her on a search for clean water to drink. Though she must face polluted rivers, unfriendly neighbors, and her own temporary discouragement, Nibi’s joyful energy becomes a catalyst for change and action as her community rallies around her to make clean drinking water available for all.

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Daniel Vandever (Diné)

Corey Begay (Diné)

This book follows the journey of a young Diné girl as she helps her grandmother retrieve a flock of sheep. Together, they venture across land and water, aided by a magical scarf. Within the scarf’s powers is the ability to transform, which changes both the girl herself and the world she knows.

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Brad Wagnon (Cherokee Nation)

Alex Stephenson

How the World Was Made is a traditional Cherokee creation story. It takes place during a time when animals did many of the things that people can do. When the earth was young, the animals lived on a rock above it, and the earth was covered with water. The animals needed more room, but where could they find it?

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Brad Wagnon (Cherokee Nation)

Alex Stephenson

The Land of Great Turtles is a Cherokee origin story. The Creator gave the Cherokee people a beautiful island with everything they could ever need. It came with only one rule: they must take care of the land and the animals living there. But what happens when the children decide to play with the turtles instead of taking care of their responsibilities?

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