Books by and about Indigenous peoples — history, family, and living culture.
Indigenous kids deserve stories in the present tense: supper, dance, water, grandparents, an ordinary day. This hub is living culture. It is not a museum label, and it is not a November bin.
We look for Native families now. We skip legends with no living people attached. We skip books that only come off the shelf at Thanksgiving. Read these because they are good books.
The dedicated guide is Indigenous picture books for kids: Fry Bread, We Are Water Protectors, Jingle Dancer, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, All Around Us, and a board book for the lap, My Heart Fills With Happiness.
A question that keeps the story from turning into a lesson: who in this book is having an ordinary day? If the answer is nobody, the book may still be good, but it may be doing museum work. We try not to lead with museum work. Thanksgiving is not when these come off the shelf. They stay out with the trucks and the fairies.
We do not use an Own Voices badge. If a listing mentions a creator's Nation or community, it comes from public self-identification or publisher materials they approved. If we cannot source it, we leave it out. Creator identity.
Related guides: Indigenous Picture Books for Kids
95 books · Page 1 of 4
Ages 3–8
What's My Superpower?Aviaq Johnston
Nalvana feels like all of her friends have superpowers except her. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special, and that her superpower was in front of her all along.
Ages 3–8
Fry Bread: A Native American Family StoryKevin Noble Maillard
Fry bread is food. It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate. Fry bread is time. It brings families together for meals and new memories. Fry bread is nation. It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond. Fry bread is us.
Ages 3–8
We Are Water ProtectorsCarole Lindstrom
Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal #1 New York Times Bestseller Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and ...
Ages 3–8
My Heart Fills With HappinessMonique Gray Smith
What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy.
Ages 3–8
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the SeaKai Cheng Thom
In the magical time between night and day, when both the sun and the moon are in the sky, a child is born in a little blue house on a hill. And Miu Lan is not just any child, but one who can change into any shape they can imagine. The only problem is they can't decide what to be: A boy or a girl? A bird or a fish? A flower or a shooting star? At school, though, they must endure inquisitive looks and difficult questions from the other children, and they have trouble finding friends who will accept them for who they are. But they find comfort in the loving arms of their mother, who always offers them the same loving refrain: "whatever you dream of / i believe you can be / from the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea." In this captivating, beautifully imagined picture book about gender, identity, and the acceptance of the differences between us, Miu Lan faces many questions about who they are and who they may be. But one thing's for sure: no matter what this child becomes, their mother will love them just the same.
Ages 3–8
The rough-face girlRafe Martin
In this Algonquin Indian version of the Cinderella story, the Rough-Face Girl and her two beautiful but heartless sisters compete for the affections of the Invisible Being.
Ages 3–8
On Mother's lapAnn Herbert Scott
On Mother's lap by Ann Herbert Scott — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.
Ages 3–8
Beyond the ridgePaul Goble
At her death an elderly Plains Indian woman experiences the afterlife believed in by her people, while the surviving family members prepare her body according to their custom.
Ages 3–8
Star BoyPaul Goble
Relates the Blackfoot Indian legend in which Star Boy gains the Sun's forgiveness for his mother's disobedience and is allowed to return to the Sky World
Ages 3–8
The Thirsty MooseDavid Orme
Unlike other leveled readers' programs, each book in this innovative, new series has a limited vocabulary of 150 words or less to give readers practice with essential sight words.
Ages 3–8
Thunder Boy JrSherman Alexie
Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name ... one that's all his own. Dad is known as Big Thunder, but Little Thunder doesn't want to share a name.
Ages 3–8
A day with YayahNicola I. Campbell
A cheerful story from a renowned Canadian children's book author and an award-winning illustrator "Radiant picture book" -Quill & Quire Set in the Nicola Valley, British Columbia, in Canada's westernmost province, a First Nations family ...
Ages 3–8
Crow's TaleNaomi Howarth
Crow's Tale by Naomi Howarth — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.
Ages 3–8
Fox on the IceTomson Highway
Written in both English and Cree, Fox on the Ice is a wonderful, lyrical story of celebration from award-winning author Tomson Highway, capturing a passing way of life for future generations.
Ages 3–8
Ribbon rescueRobert N. Munsch
"Emilie revet aujourd'hui sa belle robe a rubans pour assister a un mariage. Elle est bien loin de se douter que tous ses beaux rubans seront necessaires pour venir en aide aux maries et aux invites." Ref. La Selection de livres pour enfants et adolescents de Communication-Jeunesse 1999-2000.
Ages 3–8
Shi-shi-etkoNicola I. Campbell
Shi-shi-etko, a Native American girl, spends the last four days before she goes to residential school learning valuable lessons from her mother, father, and grandmother, and creating precious memories of home.
Ages 3–8
When we were aloneDavid Robertson
"When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. When We Were Alone is a story about a difficult time in history, and, ultimately, one of empowerment and strength."--
Ages 3–8
Tatu and the honey birdAlice Wellman
Describes the white man's treatment and forcible displacement of five Indian nations of the Southwest--the Comanche, Cheyenne, Apache, Navajo, and Cherokee.
Ages 3–8
I Sang You Down from the StarsTasha Spillett
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. Tasha Spillett-Sumner and Michaela Goade, two Indigenous creators, bring beautiful words and luminous art together in a resonant celebration of the bond between mother and child.
Ages 3–8
Disney's Brother BearWalt Disney
Disney's Brother Bear by Walt Disney — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.
Ages 3–8
SiulukRob Nix
Based on traditional stories from the Chesterfield Inlet area of the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, this tale of Siuluk and his legendary strength will captivate young readers.
Ages 3–8
Sitting BullS. D. Nelson
From Sitting Bull's childhood - killing his first buffalo at age 10 - to being named war chief to leading his people against the U.S. Army, Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People brings the story of the great chief to light ...
Ages 3–8
The Huron carolBrébeuf, Jean de Saint
Richly evocative of native Huron culture and mythology, and penned by the patron saint of Canada, Father Jean de Brébeuf,The Huron Carol is a classic lyric that puts a distinctly North American spin on the well known Nativity story.
Ages 3–8
How the Animals Got Their ColorsMichael Rosen
Pourquoi tales from Africa, North America, India, Australia, China and several other cultures explain how animals such as the coyote, tiger, frog, crane, peacock, and other animals came to look as they do.
