If You Lived With The Sioux Indians


Ann McGovern - 1972
    What if you lived with the Sioux Indians?If you lived with the Sioux Indians--Would you hunt for food?--What kind of home would you live in?--What would be the bravest thing you could do?This book tells you what it was like to live as a Sioux Indian in North and South Dakota during the years 1800 to 1850.

Baby Rattlesnake


Te Ata - 1989
    His crying keeps the rattlesnake elders up all night so his parents give him a new rattle. Sure enough, he misuses his new rattle. When he tries to scare the chief's daughter, she steps on his rattle and crushes it. Sad and defeated, he returns to his forgiving family who give him big rattlesnake hugs.

Buffalo Woman


Paul Goble - 1984
    His relatives send her away and she becomes a buffalo. Her husband follows and undergoes the Buffalo chief's tests to take on buffalo form thus strengthening the relationship between the people and the buffalo.

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker


Robbie Robertson - 2015
    Now he shares the same gift of storytelling with a new generation. Hiawatha was a strong and articulate Mohawk who was chosen to translate the Peacemaker’s message of unity for the five warring Iroquois nations during the 14th century. This message not only succeeded in uniting the tribes but also forever changed how the Iroquois governed themselves—a blueprint for democracy that would later inspire the authors of the U.S. Constitution. Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator David Shannon brings the journey of Hiawatha and the Peacemaker to life with arresting oil paintings. Together, Robertson and Shannon have crafted a new children’s classic that will both educate and inspire readers of all ages. Includes a CD featuring a new, original song written and performed by Robbie Robertson.

When We Were Alone


David Alexander Robertson - 2016
    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.

Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World)


Henriqueta Cristina - 2015
    Different as this new country is, however, it is far from ideal. In this new, gray world, the lack of freedom is felt in the simplest things, such as the colors one can and cannot wear.Yara Kono was born in Brazil. Her first drawings were made on the wall of her family's living room. Her mother wasn't pleased, but eventually embraced the artistic talents of her daughter.Henriqueta Cristina was born in Portugal into a family of many brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, and stories. She graduated Porto University and has been a teacher for over thirty years.

Grandmother's Dreamcatcher


Becky Ray McCain - 1998
    Will it work? Instructions for making a dreamcatcher appear at the end of the book. Full color.

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush


Tomie dePaola - 1988
    How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend.Many years ago, when the People traveled the Plains, a young Indian boy had a Dream-Vision in which it was revealed that one day he would create a painting that was as pure as the colors of the evening sky at sunset. The boy grew up to become the painter of the tribe, but although he found a pure white buckskin for a canvas and made paints from the brightest flowers and the reddest berries, he could not capture the sunset.How the young Indian artist finally fulfills his Dream-Vision is lovingly told and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, in words and pictures that capture the spirit and beauty of this dramatic legend.

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.

Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection


Matt DembickiTim Tingle - 2010
    Whether a coyote or rabbit, raccoon or raven, Tricksters use cunning to get food, steal precious possessions, or simply cause mischief. In Trickster, the first graphic anthology of Native American trickster tales, more than twenty Native American tales are cleverly adapted into comic form. An inspired collaboration between Native writers and accomplished artists, these tales bring the Trickster back into popular culture in vivid form. From an ego-driven social misstep in "Coyote and the Pebbles" to the hijinks of "How Wildcat Caught a Turkey" and the hilarity of "Rabbit's Choctaw Tail Tale," Trickster bring together Native American folklore and the world of graphic novels for the first time.

Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving


Joseph Bruchac - 2000
    He showed them how to plant corn, beans, and squash, and how to hunt and fish. And when a good harvest was gathered in the fall, the two peoples feasted together in the spirit of peace and brotherhood. Almost four hundred years later, the tradition continues. . . .

In the Time of the Drums


Kim L. Siegelson - 1900
    . . live oaks trembled with the sound of drums and, say some, it was a time when people could walk beneath the water. . . .It used to be that ships as big as barns would land at the dock near Teakettle Creek---slave ships bringing African people to work on plantations. Some of the Africans who lived on the island made goatskin drums to remind themselves of home, where they wished to return. Young Mentu had never known Africa. He was an island-born boy. But Grandmother Tiwi, she had Africa in her blood---she longer for home. Thanks to Tiwi's teachings, Mentu has learned to play the drums, has learned to respect the strength of their music. When a slave ship carrying Africans docks at Teakettle Creek, sending out the beat of drums---a roar coming from the Africans inside the ship who are pounding for their homeland---the beat calls to Tiwi, urging her to seek freedom. But the only place freedom lies is in the murky waters of Teakettle Creek. Now Tiwi must chose between the drum's lure and the island young Mentu calls home.Caldecott Honor medalist Brian Pinkney pairs with master storyteller Kim Siegelson to present an extraordinary Gullah tale of mysticism, intrigue, and courage. In the Time of the Drums will leave readers spellbound.-from the inside jacket flap

Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story


Robert D. San Souci - 1994
    The two older girls were lazy and bad-tempered, and made their youngest sister do all the work. When the flames from the cooking fire singed her hair or burned her skin, they laughed and called her Sootface.While she worked, Sootface dreamed that one day she would find a husband. Then a mighty warrior with the power to make himself invisible decides to marry. Only a woman with a kind and honest heart could see him, and be his bride.Though her sisters ridicule her, Sootface sets off to try her luck, never looking back. Her courage and good nature bring her the husband she has longed for.

A Boy Named Beckoning: The True Story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero


Gina Capaldi - 2008
    Adopted by an Italian photographer in 1871 and renamed Carlos Montezuma, the young boy traveled throughout the Old West, bearing witness to the prejudice against and poor treatment of Native Americans. Carlos eventually became a doctor and leader for his people, calling out for their rights. Gina Capaldi's exquisite paintings bring to life excerpts from Dr. Carlos Montezuma's own letters describing his childhood experiences. The culminating portrait provides an inventive look back into history through the eyes of a Native American hero.

The Secret Message


Mina Javaherbin - 2010
    Will he ever fly free again?Based on a poem by the ancient Persian philosopher Rumi, "The Secret Message "is a funny story of surprising twists, powerful solidarity, exotic travels, and a simple wish fulfilled. This witty tale, told with humor and vibrant images, will enchant young readers as it introduces them to the culture, literature, and history of Persia.