Ahenakew, Freda (Cree), Wisahkecahk Flies to the Moon. 1999, color illustrations.

Wisahkecahk gets to the moon by hanging onto the legs of a crane and, when the moon disappears from under him, falls to earth and is covered with mud. That's why the crane's legs are so long, and why those soft spots on earth are called “muskegs.” This traditional Cree story is written in Cree and English, and beautifully illustrated by Sherry Farrell Racette (Timiskaming).
pb 7.00

Zipitio. 2003, translated by Elisa Amado, color illustrations by Gloria Calderón.

In the Pipil/Nahua tradition, the Zipitio is older than the rocks, older than the river. He wears a black hat, has a round belly, and his feet point backward. When a girl sees the Zipitio at the river, that means he has fallen in love with her as he has always fallen in love with every young woman in the village: it is a sign that she is about to become a woman. Here, Rufina’s mother tells her all about the Zipitio so that she is not frightened when she sees him, and then helps her to deal with his love. Calderón’s bright illustrations perfectly complement this lovely story.
hc 17.00

Neekna and Chemai. 1991, color illustrations.

The story of two little girls growing up in the Okanagan Valley before the coming of the white people is part of the Kou-skelowh (“We are the People”) series.
pb 9.00

Beardslee, Lois (Ojibwe/Lacandon), Waboseg (An Ojibwe story about Rabbits' ears). 1997, b/w illustrations by the author.

“Everyone knows that Waboseg (Rabbits) love wildflowers. In the warmest days of spring, when young Zweegun (Springtime) arrives from the south, to coax old Biboon (Winter) back to his home in the north, the rabbits begin to nibble.” But Zweegun, being just a young girl, “kept forgetting about the job she was supposed to do.” Zweegun's forgetfulness causes the Waboseg to eat too many wildflowers, causing the Amoog (Bees) to make less honey, causing the Mukwag (Bears) to make a difficult decision—and the Waboseg wind up with long ears. This sweet little book was handmade by the author.
pb 7.50

 

Baby's First Laugh
Baby Learns about Animals
Baby Learns about Colors
Baby Learns about Seasons
Baby Learns about Senses
Baby Learns about Time
Baby Learns about Weather

2003, color illustrations by the author.

These beautifully illustrated bilingual board books for the very youngest picture-readers show Baby learning the things Diné babies learn. Our favorite answers the question: Who will make Baby laugh?
each title, hc 8.00

Crazy Horse's Vision. 2000, color illustrations by S.D. Nelson (Lakota).

Much has been written about the great visionary and war leader Teshunke Witko, whom the whites know as Crazy Horse, and most of it is little more than speculation from a white perspective. What is known of his childhood and coming to manhood is mostly carried in the stories from generation to generation of the Lakota people. Without polemic, without romanticism, Bruchac tells the story of Crazy Horse's childhood and the vision that was to direct his adult life. The full-color paintings by Lakota artist S.D. Nelson are luminous.
hc 18.00, pb 9.00

Dog People: Native Dog Stories. 1995, color illustrations by Murv Jacob (Cherokee).

Here, the voice of the storyteller takes us back some 10,000 years, when dogs were considered important family members and were given names that spoke of their value and loyalty. In these five very readable stories, Hummingbird and her new puppy, Awasosis (Little Bear), learn how dogs came to the people; Muskrat and his dog, Kwaniwibid (Long Tooth), find out that nothing can defeat them as long as they are together; Soksemo (Good Nose), the faithful dog of Keeps-Following-the-Trail, summons his people when help is needed; Rabbit Stick and little Mikwe (Squirrel) help Sweetgrass Girl and Moosis (Little Moose) rescue her parents; and Cedar Girl and Azeban (Raccoon) foil a kidnapping. A plus in these fast-moving stories is that all of the dogs are related, and the human characters also are relatives or friends.
pb 16.00

Eagle Song. 1997, b/w illustrations; Mohawk.

Danny Bigtree, a fourth-grade Mohawk youngster whose family has just relocated from the Akwesasne reservation in upstate New York to Brooklyn, has a tough time making friends, especially since the usual teasing of the new kid in class takes the form of racial taunting. How he deals with this, with the help of his family, is a good story, reminding one of Lenore Keeshig-Tobias Bird Talk (for younger readers).
pb 5.00

The Faithful Hunter. 1988, b/w illustrations.

Tales of animal tricksters and human heroes, ordinary people and wonderful events from the People of the Dawn, the Western Abenaki.
pb 10.00

Pushing Up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children. 2000, b/w and color illustrations.

Here, Bruchac uses drama in his adaptations of traditional stories from the Abenaki, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Ojibwe, Snohomish, Tlingit and Zuni nations. Most of these plays are based on “how-it-came-to-be” stories, and feature the trickster-heroes Gluskabe, Rabbit, Wihio and Raven. The “characters” include, in addition to humans and the other well-known animals, elements of creation such as Sun, Wind, Fire, Water, Snow and Rock. Youngsters will have fun acting in these well-done plays, the directions of which accommodate both large and small groups. Caveat: Teachers should pay careful attention to Bruchac’s directions and dialogue, and to his suggestions for minimalist props and costumes. For non-Indian children and their teachers, there can be a fine line between dramatizing a traditional Indian story and “playing Indian.” Please: no war paint, no feathers, no whooping, no hopping on one foot.
hc 22.00

Raccoon’s Last Race. 2004, color illustrations.

In this traditional Abenaki story, Azban (Raccoon) is up to his old tricks again, this time challenging the other animals to race, and taunting them at every turn. Having long legs and being a fast runner feeds both his self-confidence and bad manners to the point where he’s gonna really need some comeuppance. Which he gets. As with the Bruchacs’ earlier Turtle’s Race with Beaver and How Chipmunk Got His Stripes, young listeners will ask to hear this one over and over.
hc 17.00

Callaway, Sydney M. (Dinè), Gary Witherspoon (Dinè) and others, Grandfather Stories of the Navajos. 1974, b/w illustrations.

In Dinè and English, these Grandfather Stories are traditional stories, historical accounts, and lessons from the land, rich in information, and good for reading and telling.
pb 15.00

Campbell, Nicola L. (Interior Salish/Métis), Shi-shi-etko. 2005, color illustrations by Kim LaFave.

In just four days, young Shi-shi-etko (“she loves to play in the water”) will have to leave everyone she loves and everything she knows—to go to an Indian residential school where, among other things, her name, language and identity will be taken away. Until recently, this was the law and the harsh reality for Native children in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. “Can you imagine a community without children?” Campbell writes in a brief foreword. “Can you imagine children without parents?” As Shi-shi-etko counts down the days, her large extended family—cousins, aunties and uncles, and Yahyah—fill her with their love, memories, and the strength to endure what they know will happen and what they are powerless to prevent. With her mother, a morning prayer in the creek. With her father, a paddle song in the canoe. With her yahyah, a visit to the woods. A sprig of hemlock, cedar and pine placed into a small deerskin bag. Too soon, it is time. With a prayer and an offering of tobacco, Shi-shi-etko tucks her deerskin bag inside the roots of a big fir tree, to wait for her return. She takes in everything one last time—“tall grass swaying to the rhythm of the breeze, determined mosquitoes, working bumblebees…each shiny rock, the sand beneath her feet, crayfish and minnows and tadpoles…” This sad and gentle story needs to be read over and over, that this shameful part of history is not repeated.
hc 17.00

Children of La Loche and Friends (Dene), Byron Through the Seasons/Byron Bel Haet'azí luk'é Sine. 1990, color illustrations.

This book was written and illustrated by Dene students in Saskatchewan, with assistance from local advisors and elders. In Dene and English, it's an example of what children can do, with encouragement.
pb 8.00

First Nations Families. 1996, b/w illustrations.

“This is my mother. She likes to go to movies with her friend. This is my brother. He likes to cry. This is my grandpa. He likes to tell stories. This is my mother. She likes to do aerobics. This is my dog. He likes to scratch.” In this simple excellent reader, First Nations children introduce the reader to all their relatives, and what they “like” to do. In an important “plus,” families are diagrammed, and silhouettes of a man or woman in the family diagram mean that that person is “out of the picture” for that child.
pb 7.50

First Nations Technology. 1996, b/w illustrations.

For young readers, this is a deceptively simple and excellent discussion of old-time and modern technology: “Long ago, our people used canoes to hunt, to fish, to gather, and to travel. Today, some of our people still use canoes to hunt, fish, gather and travel. But mostly, we use motor boats, fish boats, trucks, cars or vans, motorbikes, bicycles or planes to hunt, fish, gather or travel.”
pb 7.50

Grandma's Special Feeling. 1996, b/w photos and illustrations.

Whenever Grandma gets that “special feeling,” the children know they're about to pile into the van, “get out into nature,” and get a lesson about how First Nations peoples used to live in the old days.
pb 7.50

Wait for Me! 1996, b/w illustrations.

This is an excellent middle reader about a kid who's called “Turtle” because he's always stopping to look at something interesting, instead of keeping up with his brother and sister.
pb 7.50

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Beaver Steals Fire: a Salish Coyote Story. 2005, told by Johnny Arlee (Salish), color illustrations by Sam Sandoval (Salish).

This story, as Salish historian Germaine White writes, “represents thousands of years of oral tradition. We have tried to remain faithful to our elders in our interpretation.” As Beaver Steals Fire begins, the Salish and Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee reminds us that “the elders usually bring out the stories in November and put them away again when the snow is gone.” The stories are real and alive. They are a treasure to be treated carefully and lovingly, taken out at the right time and then put away to rest until it is time to take them out again. Coyote is appointed the leader of an all-animal-being raiding party to the sky world, to steal fire for themselves and the humans, who have not yet arrived. After devising a clever plan, Coyote, with Grizzly Bear, Wren, Snake, Frog, Eagle, and Beaver bravely and resourcefully respond to the many dangers hurled their way. “This story,” White says, “teaches our children how difficult it was to bring fire from the sky world and how important it was to animals and humans. Now it is time for humans to return the gift of fire to the animals.” With Johnny Arlee’s spare telling and Sam Sandoval’s luminous watercolor art, Beaver Steals Fire will appeal to the youngest readers and listeners.
pb 13.00

Crow, Allan (Ojibwe), The Crying Christmas Tree. 1989, color illustrations.

A grandmother is heartbroken as her grandchildren make fun of the scrawny tree she has dragged in for Christmas. But the following day, a surprise is in store for her.
pb 11.00

Cuthand, Beth (Cree) and Stan Cuthand (Cree), The Little Duck/Sikihpsis. 1999, color illustrations.

This lovely little story—in Cree and English and gorgeously illustrated by Mary Longman (Saulteaux)—is about a lonely little mud duck who longs to be a handsome Cree dancer, but finds he is more comfortable and happy in his own skin, with his own duck people.
hc 17.00

Pepere Played the Fiddle. 2006, color illustrations by the author.

“We worked hard by daylight/’Til all the chores were done/Then everyone would gather/To have a lot of fun./Pepere played the fiddle/Memere danced the jig./Mon nook kept the rhythm/With spoons that weren’t too big.” Youngest readers and listeners are invited to this 1940s-era house party (which could take place today) of fiddling, spoon-playing, feet-tapping and dancing. In English with Michif words sprinkled throughout, Pepere Played the Fiddle is a celebration of Métis life and culture.
pb 11.00

Kyle's Bath. 1984, b/w illustrations.

Everybody loves taking baths, right? Wrong! Kyle definitely does not. He decides on a plan for never having to bathe again.
pb 6.00

Red Parka Mary. 1996, color illustrations.

What is it about the little old lady down the road that frightens the little boy? Told in the first person, this is a gentle tale of the growing friendship between “Red Parka Mary” and “Mister.”
pb 11.00

Fawcett, Melissa Jayne (Mohegan), and Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki), Makiawisug: The Gift of the Little People. 1997, color illustrations; Mohegan.

This is a beautifully told, beautifully illustrated traditional story about why it's important to honor the Little People: “Gladys Tantaquidgeon told me this story and I am telling it to you. One day, you too, may see a Little Person. If you do, remember not to stare at them. Remember to leave them tiny baskets of gifts in the woods. If you follow these simple rules, then the Little People will protect you, grant your wishes and keep the earth safe and well.”
hc 20.00

Himango, Deanna (Ojibwe), Boozhoo, Come Play With Us. 2002, color photos by Rocky Wilkinson (Ojibwe).

“Boozhoo, Whitney. Boozhoo means hello. Boozhoo, Samanthia. Agindaaso means read. Boozhoo, Rebecca. Mazina’igan means book.” With Ojibwe words and color photographs of the Fond du Lac kids doing what little kids do, this beautiful board book will appeal to little kids everywhere.
hc 6.00

Jaakola, Lyz (Ojibwe), Our Journey. 2002, illustrated by Karen Savage-Blue (Ojibwe).

“Anin to the East, Anin to the South, Anin to the West, Anin to the North, Anin to the Sun, Anin to the Earth, Anin to the One who gave me my birth! Miigwech to the East, Miigwech to the South, Miigwech to the West, Miigwech to the North, Miigwech to the Sun, Miigwech to the Earth, Miigwech to the One who gave me my birth!” With luminous color paintings, this beautiful board book will encourage the youngest children to greet and thank the six directions.
hc 6.00

Green, Richard G. (Mohawk), A Wundoa Book: I'm Number One! 1980, b/w illustrations.

The comic-strip adventures of a blind horse, who used to be a polo pony until getting hit on the head with a polo mallet. Now he communicates telepathically with his human cohort, Kiyon.
pb 3.00

Harjo, Joy (Muscogee), The Good Luck Cat. 2000, color illustrations.

Woogie is a good luck cat, one in “millions and billions, a “stripedy cat with tickling whiskers and green electric eyes” who “purrs as if she has a drum near her heart.” But Woogie has already used up eight of her nine lives—does her disappearance mean her good luck has run out? Joy Hargo is an accomplished poet, and this delightful picture book is pure poetry.
hc 17.00

Heath, Kristina (Mohican/Menominee), Mama's Little One. 1998, color illustrations by the author.

“Wake up, Little One! It is a new day. Your Noh is going hunting today and you will go with him...” In Mohican tradition, the head of the family wakes the children each morning and teaches them the ways to please the Great, Good Spirit. Heath “created this book for my children and for all the children in the Mohican Nation...to teach them traditional values (and) also to renew a lost custom among our people.”
pb 10.00

Kennard, Edward A., Field Mouse Goes to War/Tusan Homichi Tuwvota. (1944), 1977, b/w illustrations; Hopi.

Originally published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, this is the story of how a tiny field mouse saves the chickens of the people at Mishongnovi from their enemy, the hawk. With Hopi text by Albert Yava and illustrations by Fred Kabotie, this little story demonstrates that size does not always equal power.
pb 9.00

King, Thomas (Cherokee), Coyote Sings to the Moon. 1998, color illustrations.

It was long ago, before the animals stopped talking to the humans. Coyote wants to join Old Woman and the animals in singing to the moon. But, insulted by the animals (something about his atrocious singing voice), he in turn insults Moon, who packs her bags, slides out of the sky, dives down into the pond and plays chess with the sunfish—leaving everyone in the dark. So Old Woman and the animals try to get her back up to the sky. So of course Coyote—who keeps crashing into things, including a skunk—wants to help again. So Old Woman hatches a plan. Stick around. Big fun is going to happen now, I can tell you that....In case anyone thinks this is one of them “how-it-came-to-be legends,” Tom King made it up.
hc 16.00, pb 12.00