Kaitlin B. Curtice (Potawatomi Nation)

Eduardo Marticorena

Bo is a Potawatomi boy who’s excited for summer. He’s looking forward to gardening, going on walks with his dog, and swimming in the river with his older sister. But his summer plans are interrupted when he learns that his favorite spot is polluted by garbage. Even though Bo is shy, he shares his love for Earth and Creator by inviting his community to care for their planet and celebrate Anishinaabe culture.

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Nicholas DeShaw (Bois Forte Ojibwe)

Tara Audibert (Wolastoqey)

Loaf the cat loves to play with her boy, and when she’s particularly happy, she’ll make the purr sound for him. She also likes to keep tabs on him, so when he disappears one day, she decides to find him. She follows his smell to a place where there are drums and colors and lots of people—and then she’s excited to see her boy dancing fast, making the ribbons on his regalia twirl beautifully! When he takes a break, Loaf goes to greet him in her special way, making the powwow one her boy will never forget, and worthy of many purrs!

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Staci Lola Drouillard (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe)

Kate Gardiner (Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck Indians)

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?

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Ashley Fairbanks (Anishnaabe)

Bridget George (Kettle and Stony Point First Nation)

Before my family lived in this house, a different family did, and before them, another family, and another before them. And before that, the family who lived here lived not in a house, but a wigwam. Who lived where you are before you got there?

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Kaylin Melia George (Native Hawaiian)

Mae Waite

Since the day that Ano was born, her heart has been connected to her home. But this adventurous child still has a lot to learn! When Ano begins to dance hula—a storytelling dance form that carries the knowledge, history, and folklore of the Hawaiian people—she comes to understand the true meaning of aloha.

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Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian Nations)

Bridget George (Anishinaabe)

Russell is a Native boy who yearns for a chance to shine. When he gets a role in the school play, he’s excited to share the news with his family. But his family is a lot! They’re loud and boisterous, and there are so many individual people and personalities that it’s difficult to get the family’s attention. That’s when Russell decides to keep his success to himself. But he soon realizes that being alone is… lonely. Ultimately, Russell learns that a lot of family means a lot of love and support.

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Monique Gray Smith (Cree, Lakota, and Scottish)

Nicole Neidhardt (Diné)

At the Intertribal Community Center, Molly and her family do lots of fun things. Dancing, singing, gardening, praying, learning, and—most of all—being together. Tonight, Molly and her family are going to have a feast. Molly takes this occasion to celebrate everyone she knows: her grandmother, her grandmother’s wife, her uncles and their new child, her cousins, and her friends. Everyone is unique. Together, they make one big circle of love.

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Deidre Havrelock (Saddle Lake Cree Nation)

Aphelandra (Oneida/Filipino)

Whenever young Carol Powder sang along to her family’s music, her heart felt light and full of joy. Learning from her grandfather, Moshum, Carol listened closely to the drums’ heartbeat until one day Moshum made her a drum of her very own. As Carol grew up, she passed down her songs to her children, grandchildren, and many women in her community, just as Moshum taught her—even as women and children became increasingly excluded from sitting at the drum. Despite those who disapproved, she formed her own drumming group called Chubby Cree.

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Deidre Havrelock (Saddle Lake Cree Nation)

Aly McKnight (Shoshone-Bannock)

It’s a special day—the day of the Jingle Dress Dance! Before the big powwow, there’s a lot to do: getting dressed, braiding hair, packing lunches, and practicing bounce-steps. But one young girl gets butterflies in her stomach thinking about performing in front of her whole community. When the drumbeats begin, though, her family soothes her nerves and reminds her why she dances.

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Mavasta Honyouti (Hopi)

This book, written by Hopi woodcarver Mavasta Honyouti, tells the story of his grandfather’s experience at a residential boarding school and how he returned home to pass their woodcarving traditions down to future generations.

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Patrick Hulse

Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw Nation)

There are countless ways we celebrate and give to others on Thanksgiving. The goodness we share lasts the rest of the year—and sometimes for a lifetime. From joyful preparation of food, to quiet reflection honoring farmers and Native communities, to cherished moments of laughter with friends or family… there is always room for making more memories together.

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Nicholas Hummingbird (Cahuilla/Apache) with Julia Wasson

Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw Nation)

Our people believe spirit lives in everything. Mountain, river, wind, tree. Come, take a walk with me. What do we learn from plants when we listen to them speaking? Indigenous plantsman Nicholas Hummingbird calls on the legacy of his great-grandparents to remember how one drop of rain, one seed, one plant can renew a cycle of hope and connection—for him and for each of us.

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Kevin Locke (Hunkpapa Lakota/Anishinaabe)

Kristy Cameron (Métis)

In this Lakota legend, Wakhan Thanka (The Great Spirit) created the entire world in seven days; leaving the most precious creation for last. In order to protect this precious creation, Wakhan Thanka needed to hide it where it would always be safe and turned to our animal relatives for help. Together, they found the perfect place. Do you know where they chose?

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Sherri Maret (Choctaw Nation)

Thomas Hilley

This companion to Twelve Days of Winter is another book to read or sing along with children. In this reimagined version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” wildlife is observed during summer. The animals enjoy warmer weather, blooming flowers, and sunny days. Summer is also a busy time for animal parents who are wrangling their little ones. Can you find a curious chipmunk watching other animals enjoying the summer?

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Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota) and Donna Janell Bowman

S.D. Nelson (Lakota, enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe)

Billy Mills was once an orphan on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation. But before his father was called to the ancestors, he told Billy how to conquer his suffering: You have broken wings, son. You have to dig deeper, below the anger, the hurt, the self-pity. The pursuit of a dream will heal you. Despite poverty, racism, and severe health challenges, Billy raced toward his goal of becoming an Olympic athlete, inspired by his indigenous ancestors who stood strong when the odds were against them. Though at times he felt like his wings were clipped—a lone bird falling from the sky—he adapted and overcame, finally earning his place at the 1964 Olympics.

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Cheryl Minnema (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe)

Sam Zimmerman (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe)

I fly my kite above fall-colored hills. I am on Cherokee land. This picture book explores the beauty and resources of thirteen ancestral Indigenous lands and how we all use those lands each day. Simple poetry and portrayals of children and families enjoying rivers, bike paths, beaches, and parks show how everyday activities can include honoring Indigenous cultures.

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Kealani Netane (Native Hawaiian/Samoan)

Dung Ho

Tala is a Samoan girl who looks up to her Aunty Sina. Tala wishes she could do the traditional dance, taualuga, just like her Aunty. Tala has the perfect opportunity to show her dance moves at her Grandma’s birthday. But when Tala is about to start her performance, she freezes with nervousness. Can she overcome her nerves by drawing on the courage and strength of the family around her?

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Apolonia Nunez (Seminole Tribe of Florida)

In this picture book, Indigenous readers will learn how their ancestors lived—hunting, telling stories by the campfire, and becoming one with nature. Imagine moonlit nights, wolves howling, and frogs singing, creating a world where people and the land are like best buddies. The colors and words of Indigenous cultures aren’t just old stories—they’re like magic threads making a strong and proud community.

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Janessa Parker (Diné)

Beverly Blacksheep (Diné)

This story tells of the hardships, the triumphs, and the resilience of a mighty people: the Diné (or the Navajo). They raise sheep. They craft stunning jewelry. They weave vibrant rugs. Still many are without running water or electricity, and their stories and past remain forgotten to nearly all but themselves. This book tells their story, capturing the joy and endurance of a people who love their history, family, language, art, food, dance, and land―and who hope patiently for a day when the sun will rise even brighter.

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Alexander Posey (Muscogee)

Paige Pettibon (Salish)

This book depicts a dreamy fall day full of jaybird songs and scarlet leaves dancing through the air. It celebrates the changing of the seasons as the golden sun sets on summer and the world prepares for a time of rest.

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Marcie Rendon (White Earth Anishinaabe)

Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Ojibwe)

An Ojibwe grandmother carefully measures and selects just the right colors of fabric, and her sewing machine hums whirr, whirr, whirr late into the night. In the morning, her growing granddaughter has a beautiful new ribbon skirt to wear, a reminder of her nookomis and the cultural traditions that stitch together her family with love.

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Andrea L. Rogers (Cherokee Nation)

Rebecca Kunz (Cherokee Nation)

Sissy’s younger brother, Chooch, isn’t a baby anymore. They just celebrated his second birthday, after all. But no matter what Chooch does, their parents say he’s just “helping.” When Elisi paints a mural, Chooch helps. When Edutsi makes grape dumplings, Chooch helps. When Sissy tries to make a clay pot, Chooch helps… When Chooch bursts into tears after Sissy gets frustrated with his helping, a tender family moment follows that will resonate with anyone who has welcomed a new little one to the fold.

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Andrea L. Rogers (Cherokee Nation)

Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw Nation)

A Cherokee child celebrates their heritage by gathering wild onions. This is a special ingredient that will be used in a meal during a big community tradition. Readers are introduced to this custom, which is celebrated by several southeastern tribes.

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Kim Rogers (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes)

Bobby Von Martin (Choctaw Nation)

This nonfiction picture book follows the life of Clarence Tinker, a member of the Osage Nation. As a child, he was taken from his family and community, then sent to a boarding school. This was an unfortunate and common fate for Native children during this time, and it prevented them from speaking their language or celebrating their customs. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Clarence worked hard and became a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Army. Throughout his life and despite his early childhood circumstances, Clarence was a hero who never forgot—and always treasured—his Osage heritage.

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Kim Rogers (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes)

This poetry anthology, edited by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, explores making mistakes and learning from them. A diverse group of twenty poets―including Linda Sue Park, Margarita Engle, Allan Wolf, David Elliott, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Lacresha Berry, George Ella Lyon, Jaime Adoff, Kim Rogers, and Naomi Shihab Nye―share real-life blunders they made as young people. Following each poem is a short prose explanation of what happened afterward. Includes a poem by Kim Rogers (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes).

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Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation)

Michaela Goade (Tlingit/Haida)

Goodbye is another word for “new beginning.” A young Cherokee girl learns this when her family moves away from their city home. The family is moving back to their ancestral land, and the girl excitedly draws in her sketchbook as her mother drives them to their new beginning. The young girl can’t wait for what lies ahead, like eating a feast with her big, extended family and playing with her cousins by the creek.

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Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation)

Joseph Erb (Cherokee Nation)

Vann loves his tribe’s traditional sport of stickball, but he’s not as skilled as his teammates. Vann stumbles, and he tries and fails to score. How can he help his teammates win the game?

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Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation)

Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw Nation)

It’s powwow day, and there is so much to see and do! In this board book adaptation of Traci Sorell’s picture book Powwow Day, count one through ten as you make your way through the day of the powwow, looking for colors, family members, jingle dresses, musical instruments, and tribal citizens.

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Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation)

Frané Lessac

We are grateful every day, every season. The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Comprised of four mini board books celebrating each season, this collection embodies the Cherokee community’s gratefulness for blessings, new experiences, and challenges in fall, winter, spring, and summer.

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Cheyenne M. Stone (Washoe/Paiute) and Glenda Armand

Katie Dorame (Tongva)

Toypurina grew up in the village of Japchivit, where everyone had a role to play. She loved to gather elderberries from the woods, weave baskets, and listen to her grandmother tells stories. But all that changed when the Spanish came. As Toypurina grew and became medicine woman of her tribe, she learned about the harsh conditions and persecution of Spanish rule. Toypurina knew she had to act, and in 1785 she organized an uprising to fight for her people and their way of life.

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Martha Troian (Lac Seul First Nation/Wabauskang First Nation)

Hawlii Pichette (Mushkego Cree)

Bineshii is looking forward to his first powwow. He wakes up and travels with his mother to the community event. He eats bannock and drinks strawberry juice as he watches the dancers perform. And ever so slowly, Bineshii works his way from the edge of the circle watching the dancers to inside the circle itself, dancing and celebrating with everyone else.

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James Vukelich (Turtle Mountain Chippewa)

Marcus Trujillo (Pueblo of Laguna)

Follow a day in the life of a young, mixed heritage Ojibwe child as he learns about the Ojibwe tradition of the dream catcher. Through its story, this book introduces readers to key words and phrases from the Ojibwe language.

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Brad Wagnon (Cherokee Nation)

Beth Anderson (Cherokee Nation)

This book offers parents and educators a tool to introduce Cherokee children, as well as adults, to the syllabary of their native language. The introduction and pronunciation key aid in understanding the illustrated syllabary characters. Each illustration is paired with is a Cherokee word that contains the character, the Cherokee pronunciation of each syllabary character in the word, and the translation of the word in English.

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Leslie Stall Widener (Choctaw Nation)

Johnson Yazzie (Diné)

This picture book tells a true pay-it-forward story that bridges two continents, 175 years, and two events in history: the 1845 Irish Potato Famine and the COVID-19 pandemic. In each of these tragic events, kindness and empathy connected Ireland, the Choctaw Nation, the Navajo Nation, and the Hopi Tribe, as the people of each found kindred spirits in one another despite their differences.

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Kelsey Borgford (Nbisiing Nishnaabe from Nipissing First Nation)

Tessa Pizzale (Cree)

Tessa loves how her grandmother always smells of campfire stories. Mom says it’s because Kohkom spends her days sewing beautiful beads onto smoked hides. Inspired, Tessa asks Kohkom to teach her beading, but first she must listen and learn about the many stories held in a bead.

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Michael Redhead Champagne (Shamattawa First Nation)

Tiff Bartel

Everyone has a gift. Every gift is different, and every gift is special. Our world needs you to share your gift. What is your gift, and how can you use it to help others?

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Julie Flett (Cree/Métis)

Every day, a little boy watches kids pass by on skateboards, and dreams of joining them. One day, his mother brings a surprise: her old skateboard, just for him! haw êkwa! Let’s go! Together, they practice on the sidewalk, at the park, in Auntie’s yard—everywhere. But when it comes time to try the skatepark, the skateboarders crash down like a waterfall. Can he find the confidence to join them?

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Julie Flett (Cree/Métis)

This picture book is a small glimpse, from A to Z, of some of the sights and sounds of the Michif language and its speakers, the Métis.

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Andrea Fritz (Coast Salish from Lyackson First Nation)

Qwiwilh the wood duck is preparing to nest in his favorite tree when Q’uleeq’e’ the crow invites him to play in the tall branches. They jump higher and higher up the tree until they accidentally break the branches and come crashing down into the stream below. After a daring rescue, Qwiwilh sadly realizes his nesting spot is gone, and Q’uleeq’e’ decides to make things right for her new friend.

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Tasha Hilderman (Métis)

Risa Hugo

Are you Métis like me? A group of children of Métis descent share and explore all the ways they celebrate and experience their heritage—enjoying traditional foods like bannock bread and Saskatoon berries; crafting with beads; sharing stories, dance, music and songs. Each child shares a different way they enjoy honoring their backgrounds and weaving parts of the rich tapestry that makes up Métis culture. One child, though, has grown up disconnected from their history, and can’t join in with the others in the same way. But they soon see it’s never too late to learn, celebrate or become a part of a community in which Métis and non-Métis alike can discover the richness of an often-overlooked culture.

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Brett D. Huson (Gitxsan Nation)

Natasha Donovan (Métis Nation of British Columbia)

As flowers and trees begin to bud and bloom, Nox Ap, the bee mother, emerges from her winter sleep. To the Gitxsan, she is nature’s gardener. Without her hard work as a pollinator, we could not enjoy the fruits of strawberries and huckleberries. Follow her life from the first thaw of spring to the end of autumn.

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Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Ojibwe)

Can you see a fox digging, spot two minnows dancing or hear a swarm of bees buzzing? In this story written in Anishinaabemowin and English, meet a variety of woodland and water animals as they go about their daily activities: walking, running, swimming, climbing and finally—when the day is done—sleeping!

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Rosemarie Avrana Meyok (Inuk)

Thamires Paredes

In this traditional story from the Western Arctic, a kind giant adopts a human boy. One night, after a meal, the giant gives the boy one job: to watch for grizzly bears while he sleeps. Each time the boy sees a bear, he wakes the giant. The giant is so big, he is not concerned with any regular grizzly—but then, a giant grizzly appears and the giant must fight to protect both himself and his adopted son!

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Willie Poll (Métis Nation of Ontario)

Hawlii Pichette (Mushkego Cree)

This book explores the compelling dreams and hopes of an Indigenous parent for her soon-to-be-born warrior, or Ogichidaa in Anishinaabemowin. Through the eyes of a mother, readers gain insight into the profound bonds of family and community that are central to Indigenous life.

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Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (Inuk)

Pelin Turgut

Pauloosie loves his pet rock, Miki Rock. Pauloosie’s Anaana, his mother, tells him a bedtime story about what Miki Rock sees, hears, and feels in his Arctic home. As part of the land, Miki Rock sees char and beluga, listens to chirps and howls, and feels the snow and sun.

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Nadia Sammurtok (Inuk)

Simji Park

Told in the voices of a boy and his father, this story explores the emotional toll of a child being taken from their family and community to attend residential school. While the boy’s internal monologue expresses his fear, confusion, and loss, the father’s monologue conveys his own sadness, fears, and hopes for the future of his child. Upon his return to his community, the boy and his father must start the long process of reconnection.

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Tonya Simpson (Pasqua First Nation/Cree)

Delreé Dumont

From the hum of dragonflies to the drumming of thunder, with grasses swirling and the Northern Lights glimmering, this story shares a song and dance—a gift from the ancestors that soothes children to sleep and reminds them of their deeply rooted connections to the land.

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Sage Speidel (Standing Rock Hunkpapa Lakota/Sapotaweyak Swampy Cree Nation)

Leah Dorion (Métis from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan)

In this story, a mother shares Lakota cultural experiences with her daughter, introducing her to waci (dance) as a way to celebrate life. Wacipi (powwow), where the dancing occurs, is a setting for Indigenous song, dance, regalia, food and crafts.

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Tanya Tagaq (Inuk)

Cee Pootoogook (Inuk)

Beginning with one proud polar bear standing tall and ending with ten bears waving goodbye, this counting book shows polar bears in all their forms: slippery and fast, crafty and cool, hungry and proud.

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Jan Bourdeau Waboose (Anishinaabe)

Karlene Harvey

Serenity is following her brother, Big Ed, to his fishing spot on Hawk River. Big Ed explains that the river is named for the Hawk, Gekek, the Keepers of the river and their Protectors. Later, when Big Ed gets in trouble while fishing, Serenity follows the Hawk’s shadow to come to her brother’s aid.

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Daniel W. Vandever (Diné)

Lynne Hardy (Diné)

When Nizhoni has to take something to school that shows her Navajo culture, she feels nervous. How will classmates respond to her culture and the item she shares? Nizhoni decides to take the rug she and her grandmother made. The next day, Nizhoni is anxious to show her rug, but her classmates are enthusiastic. Her words remind them of people in their families and things they do, and Nizhoni tells them more about how she and her grandmother made the rug. In the end, Nizhoni realizes that being different is not scary!

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