Book picks similar to
Dancing in My Bones by Wilfred Burton


canadian
first-peoples
foreign-language
metis-literature

Bheema and Hanuman


Kamala Chandrakant - 1980
    So was Hanuman the ape in the Ramayana. For both, the poets held that their powers were the gift of the wind-god, their parent. The two face each other in this story from the Mahabharata. During the Pandavas' exile in the forest, their wife Draupadi expresses her wish to have a particular flower. Bheema sets out for the mountain on which the flower blossoms. On the way he demonstrates his strength against an elephant. He is however unable to lift the tail of Hanuman who is lying on the way. An interesting encounter follows and in the end Bheema achieves his purpose. Both are known for their extraordinary strength and valour. Both are the sons of Vayu, the wind God. Hanuman lived in the Tretayug serving Sri rama while Bheema, a contemporary of Krishna, lived in the Dwaparyug. The Mahabharata narrates the story of an encounter between the two mighty brothers.

Pablo Finds a Treasure


Andrée Poulin - 2014
    There, they rummage through the mounds of garbage looking for items that their mother can sell in order to provide food for the family. Occasionally, they find a “real” treasure like some still-edible food, or a picture book, which Pablo delights in, even though he can’t read. The work is exhausting, and sometimes not very lucrative, but the worst thing they have to contend with is Filthy-Face, a brutish bully who steals the finds of all the children. But one day, Pablo discovers a real treasure. Will he be able to keep it from falling into the hands of Filthy-Face? Simply written with highly expressive illustrations, this book brings home the reality of poverty around the world.

The Dog Who Wanted to Fly


Kathy Stinson - 2019
    All Zora wants to do is learn how to fly so she can catch that pesky squirrel in her yard. But try as she might to prove to her friend Tully--a skeptical cat--that dogs truly can fly, nothing seems to work. Until Zora finds the right motivation, that is. Kathy Stinson's charming story of perseverance is beautifully brought to life by Brandon James Scott's exuberant and wonderfully expressive illustration. Touching on themes of optimism and determination in the face of failure, The Dog Who Wanted to Fly is a book anyone--even a cat--will love.

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom


Tim Tingle - 2006
    In the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears, Bok Chitto was a boundary. On one side of the river lived the Choctaws. On the other side lived the plantation owners and their slaves. If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto, the slave was free.Thus begins Crossing Bok Chitto, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but one day--in search of blackberries--she disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. A tall slave discovers Martha Tom. A friendship begins between Martha Tom and the slave's family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo. Soon afterwards, Little Mo's mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The situation seems hopeless, except that Martha Tom teaches Little Mo's family how to walk on water to their freedom.Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle blends songs, cedar flute, and drum with tribal lore to bring the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in lively historical, personal, and traditional stories. His collection of stories Walking the Choctaw Road was selected as the Oklahoma Book of the Year.Artist Jeanne Rorex Bridges traces her heritage back to her Cherokee ancestors. Crossing Bok Chitto is her first fully illustrated book.

How Oakley Lost His Spots (Oakley and Bella Book 1)


D.C. Swain - 2013
    Convinced by his friend Rover that he has lost them, he sets off to find his spots, only to find out that Dalmatians aren’t born with spots and that they all develop at different times. A vividly illustrated picture book, this story is perfect for showing children how everyone develops at different rates. ***Check out the other books in the "Oakley and Bella" series: -When Oakley Met Bella -Oakley and Bella Meet Puss -Oakley and Bella on Holiday

Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía Una Llamita


Angela Dominguez - 2013
    But do you know Maria?      With gorgeous, Peruvian-inspired illustrations and English and Spanish retellings, Angela Dominguez gives a fresh new twist to the classic rhyme. Maria and her mischievous little llama will steal your heart.

Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth


Duncan Tonatiuh - 2020
    They tried many times during each sun, or age. When all their attempts failed and the gods grew tired, only one did not give up: Quetzalcóatl—the Feathered Serpent. To continue, he first had to retrieve the sacred bones of creation guarded by Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the underworld. Gathering his staff, shield, cloak, and shell ornament for good luck, Feathered Serpent embarked on the dangerous quest to create humankind. Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh brings to life the story of Feathered Serpent, one of the most important deities in ancient Mesoamerica. With his instantly recognizable, acclaimed art style and grand storytelling, Tonatiuh recounts a thrilling creation tale of epic proportions.

Ten Cents a Pound


Nhung N. Tran-Davies - 2018
    Every time the girl insists that she will stay, her mother repeats that she must go—that there is more to life than labor in the coffee fields. Their loving exchange reveals the struggles and sacrifices that they will both have to make for the sake of the young girl’s future. The sweet, simple text captures a mother’s love and her wish for a life of opportunity for her daughter.

The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story


Joseph Bruchac - 1994
    Roth's brilliant collage art enhances the story. Full color.

We Wear Masks


Marla Lesage - 2020
    Author and illustrator Marla Lesage normalizes mask-wearing by introducing young readers to artists, ranchers, pilots, welders, scientists and many more people who already wear masks in their day-to-day lives. This delightful, rhyming picture book will help explain to children why wearing a mask is important as we interact with others in our communities. Readers will learn that, when they put on their mask, they are choosing to be kind and considerate of others.We Wear Masks is a fun tool to help children make sense of this new reality and make wearing masks less scary and more relatable. This book can be used as a conversation starter about the pandemic, the spread of germs and viruses, and what families can do to keep themselves and the people they care about safe.

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13


Helaine Becker - 2018
    But do you know about the mathematical genius who made sure that Apollo 13 returned safely home?As a child, Katherine Johnson loved to count. She counted the steps on the road, the number of dishes and spoons she washed in the kitchen sink, everything! Boundless, curious, and excited by calculations, young Katherine longed to know as much as she could about math, about the universe.From Katherine's early beginnings as a gifted student to her heroic accomplishments as a prominent mathematician at NASA, this is the story of a groundbreaking American woman who not only calculated the course of moon landings but, in turn, saved lives and made enormous contributions to history.