New Native American Picture Books from Perpich Library

August 20, 2024

The Perpich Library has an extensive collection of Native American resources to use in K-12 classrooms, including picture books by and about Indigenous people. This is a selection of the newest picture books added to the collection this summer.

All items on this list are available at the Perpich library. Click on titles for more information.

1. Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom; illustrated by Bridget George
Indigenous women have always worked tirelessly to protect our water — keeping it pure and clean for the generations to come. Yet there was a time when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, leaving entire communities and environments in danger and without clean water. But then came Grandma Josephine and her great-niece, Autumn. Speak for the water. Sing for the water. Dance for the water. With moving lyricism and arresting illustrations, Carole Lindstrom and Bridget George celebrate Josephine Mandamin and Autumn Peltier, two groundbreaking water warriors who have created a tidal wave of change.

2. Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome by Nancy Cooper; illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
It’s a special day for Amik the beaver and her little sister, Nishiime. Their cousins are coming to visit! Amik is excited, but Nishiime feels nervous about meeting new people, and when the cousins finally arrive, Nishiime disappears. Lively, immersive illustrations show Amik and her cousins as they search the woods for Nishiime. Each creature they encounter, introduced to readers using their Anishinaabe names, reveals how beavers help the forest community.

3. Heart Berry Bling by Jenny Kay Dupuis; illustrated by Eva Campbell
On a visit to her granny, Maggie is excited to begin her first-ever beading project: a pair of strawberry earrings. However, beading is much harder than she expected! As they work side by side, Granny shares how beading helped her persevere and stay connected to her Anishinaabe culture when she lost her Indian status, forcing her out of her home community—all because she married someone without status, something the men of her community could do freely.

4. Mnoomin maan’gowing/The Gift of Mnoomin by Brittany Luby; pictures by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley; translated by Mary Ann Corbiere
Written in Anishinaabemowin and English, the story opens at harvest time. A child holds a mnoomin seed and imagines all the life that made a single seed possible―Mayfly, Pike, Muskrat, Eagle and Moose – all had a part to play in bringing the seed into being. What will happen if the seed sprouts? Underwater leaves will shelter young fish, shoots will protect ducklings, stalks will feed larvae, in turn providing food for bats…until finally mnoomin will be ready to harvest again.

5. My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom; illustrated by Steph Littlebird
Mom never had long hair—she was told it was too wild. Grandma couldn’t have long hair—hers was taken from her. But one young girl can’t wait to grow her hair long: for herself, for her family, for her connection to her culture and the Earth, and to honor the strength and resilience of those who came before her.

6. Phoenix Gets Greater by Marty Wilson-Trudeau with Phoenix Wilson; illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith
Phoenix loves to play with dolls and marvel at pretty fabrics. Most of all, he loves to dance—ballet, Pow Wow dancing, or just swirling and twirling around his house. Sometimes Phoenix gets picked on and he struggles with feeling different, but his mom and brother are proud of him. With their help, Phoenix learns about Two Spirit/Niizh Manidoowag people in Anishinaabe culture and just how special he is.

7. Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Ša, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist adapted by Gina Capaldi & Q.L. Pearce; illustrated by Gina Capaldi
Offers insight into the life of Gertrude Simmons, a Native American girl who left the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota for a boarding school in Indiana at age eight, learned to express herself through music and words, and went on to become an activist for Native American rights.

8. Storyteller Skye: Teachings from My Ojibway Grandfather by Lindsay Christina King; illustrated by Carolyn Frank
In this collection of funny and unique short stories, young Skye enlightens us in a number of Indigenous teachings, passed down to her from her Ojibway Grandfather. Through her natural gift of storytelling, Skye encourages other children to embrace the art and become storytellers, too!

9. When the Stars Came Home by Brittany Luby; pictures by Natasha Donovan
When Ojiig moves to the city with his family, he misses everything they left behind. Most of all, he misses the sparkling night sky. Without the stars watching over him, he feels lost. His parents try to help, but nothing seems to work. Not glow-in-the-dark sticker stars, not a star-shaped nightlight. But then they have a new idea for how to make Ojiig feel better — a special quilt stitched through with family stories that will wrap Ojiig in the warmth of knowing who he is and where he came from. Join this irresistible family as they discover the power of story and tradition to make a new place feel like home.

10. Zaagi and Biboonkeonini by Allie Tibbetts; illustrations by Sam Zimmerman
A heart-warming tale of the most frigid of Ojibwe figures, Biboonkeonini (Wintermaker) pays a visit to Zaagi, a young Ojibwe girl who has grown tired of the long winter Biboonkeonini has created. Introduces some Ojibwemowin words.

All items on this list are available at the Perpich Library.

Title descriptions are provided by Amazon and/or the publisher.