Water cooler: Kids books by native authors
One of the best ways to learn about other cultures is through the arts, and that includes children’s books. Storytelling is a universal art that helps children develop language skills, concentration, imagination and empathy.
In this way, stories serve as a portal for understanding the experiences of others, allowing the audience to share in the feelings of the characters. Whether empathy is emotional or intellectual, it is a natural form of critical thinking because it allows us to think outside of our framework of personal experiences and knowledge.
With millions of children’s books out there, it’s hard to know where to start. In light of the recent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-racist children’s books and children’s books by Black authors became widely popular .
A similar avenue to help kids understand American history and how it relates to people today is to read books by Indigenous authors. Here are a few books that explore the lives, imaginations and traditions of American Indians from many tribes .
Preschool and Earlier
“Baby Learns About Colors” by Beverly Blacksheep (Navajo) – Baby explores the outdoors and learns a new color with each activity.
“Wild Berries” by Julie Flett (Cree-Métis) – A celebration of nature and the tradition of picking wild blueberries.
“Boozhoo: Come Play With Us” by Deanna Himango (Ojibwe) – Meet Native kids from Fond du Lac Head Start.
“Sweetest Kulu” by Celina Kallyuk (Inuit) – A bedtime poem describing gifts given to a newborn baby by animals of the Arctic.
“Cradle Me” with photos provided by Native families, edited by Debby Slier – A collection of babies carried on cradle boards, and all their emotions and activities.
Early Elementary (Grades K-3)
“Hungry Johnny” by Cheryl Minnema (Ojibwe) – Johnny watches Grandma work in the kitchen while he builds an enormous appetite.
“Hiawatha and the Peacemaker” by Robbie Robertson (Mohawk/Cayuga) – The story of Hiawatha and his spiritual guide.
“Chukfi Rabbit’s Big Bad Bellyache: A Trickster Tale” by Greg Rodgers (Choctaw) – Follow the laziest and hungriest trickster rabbit there is.
“Jingle Dancer” by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) – Jenna prepares to dance at the next powwow, but she worries about finding enough jingles for her dress.
“Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story” by Donald Uluadluak (Inuit) – Jake struggles to train his new puppy as a sled dog until he receives some help from his grandfather.
Late Elementary to Middle School (Grades 4-7)
“Hidden Roots” by Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki) – Sonny confronts his family secrets and discovers the truth of his American Indian heritage.
“The Birchbark House” by Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) – Follow the life of the Omakayas and their Ojibwe community.
“In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse” by Joseph Marshall III (Sicangu Lakota) – Jimmy’s grandfather teaches him about his Lakota heritage.
“Son Who Returns” by Gary Robinson (Choctaw/Cherokee) – Mark goes to live with his Chumash grandmother on the reservation and discovers the rich world of his family history.
“Indian Shoes” by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) – Funny and heartwarming stories about what it is like to grow up as a Seminole-Cherokee boy.
Middle School to High School (Grades 8-12)
“Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories Today” by various Native writers, edited by Lori Marie Carlson – Original, unique and fresh stories about American Indian life.
“If I Ever Get Out of Here” by Eric Gansworth (Onondaga) – Lewis lives on the Tuscarora Indian reservation. After befriending George, a white boy from an Air Force family that just moved to town, he is surprised by their connection but also struggles to hide his family’s poverty.
“The Night Wanderer: A Native Gothic Novel” by Drew Hayden Taylor (Ojibwe) – 16-year-old Tiffany discovers her father is renting a room to a guest who is not exactly what he seems.