Indigenous Joy in Picture Books

by Julie Buchholtz; illustrated by Aliya Ghare

Written from an Indigenous perspective, Who Am I? tells the story of how we are all connected to our ancestors, our past and future, and the Earth—and how it is everyone's duty to fend off darkness, connect to the past, offer safety and shelter, and color the world with beauty.

by Andrea L. Rogers; illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

As the dirt warms and green sprouts poke up, a Cherokee girl joins her family in the hunt for green onions. Together, they pick enough to bring to a feast, which is cooked with love and shared by their community.

by Staci Lola Drouillard; illustrated by Kate Gardiner

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?

by Laurel Goodluck; illustrated by Bridget George

When Russell tries to share exciting news with his large, Native family, he struggles with being heard, but after he ventures out on his own he realizes how much he loves his family.

by Brenda J. Child; translated by Gordan Jourdain; illustrated by Jonathan Thunder
 
The best days of summer end at the powwow, but Windy Girl takes the revelry of the gathering one step farther, into a dreamworld where the dancers and singers are dogs.

by Michaela Goades

As a young Tlingit girl collects wild berries over the seasons, she sings with her Grandmother as she learns to speak to the land and listen when the land speaks back.

by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunton; illustrated by Gary Meeches Sr.

Wampanoag children listen as their grandmother tells them the story about how Weeâchumun (the wise Corn) asked local Native Americans to show the newcomers how to grow food to yield a good harvest—Keepunumuk—in 1621.

by Kevin Noble Maillard; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Celebrates the Native American tradition of sharing fry bread during family meals, in a story about family, history, culture, and traditions, both new and old.

by Buffy Sainte-Marie; illustrated by Julie Flett

Based on Sainte-Marie’s song of the same name, Still This Love Goes On combines Flett’s breathtaking art with vivid lyrics to craft a stunning portrait of a Cree worldview. At the heart of this picture book is a gentle message about missing our loved ones, and the promise of seeing each other again.

by Fernando Vilela; translated by Daniel Hahn

Cauã and Inaê are a brother and sister who live in a small community along the Tapajós River in Brazil. When the rainy season comes, they must leave their village and relocate to higher ground for a while.

by Juana Martinez-Neal; Asháninka translation, Arlynder Sett Gaspar Paulino

Enjoying days spent with animal friends near her home in the Amazon, young Zonia wonders what to do on a day when the rainforest calls out to her for help, in a lushly illustrated story that is complemented by backmatter about the Asháninka community.

by Carla Messinger with Susan Katz; illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden

In this Lenape story told by Traditional Sister and Contemporary Sister, readers see the activities within the cycle of the seasons across time and how what is important has remained: Then and now are not so very different.

by Penny M. Thomas; illustrated by Karen Hibbard

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 them a new word or phrase in Cree. A glossary of Cree words and phrases is included in the back of the book.

by Denise K. Lajimodiere; illustrated by Angela Erdrich

An Ojibwe girl practices her dance steps, gets help from her family, and is inspired by the soaring flight of Migizi, the eagle, as she prepares for her first powwow. A glossary of Ojibwe words is included.

by Tasha Spillett-Sumner; illustrated by Michaela Goade

This unique baby book sings with Native cultural detail, while striking a universal chord in its celebration of the blossoming of love that comes with expecting and welcoming a new baby.

by Linda Elovitz Marshall; illustrated by Elisa Chavarri; translated by Eida de la Vega

A young Mayan girl isn't allowed to use her mother's thread to weave, so with a little ingenuity she discovers how to repurpose plastic bags to create colorful weavings. Based on an actual recycling movement in Guatemala. Bilingual English/Spanish.

by David Robertson; illustrated by Julie Flett

A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. This is a heartfelt story about memory, imagination, and intergenerational connection that perfectly captures the experience of a young child's wonder as he is introduced to places and stories that hold meaning for his family.