Book picks similar to
Muskrat Will Be Swimming by Cheryl Savageau


picture-books
native-american
children-s-books
fiction

Always Room for One More


Sorche Nic Leodhas - 1965
    In his "wee house in the heather," where he lives with his family of twelve, he welcomes to his hearth every weary traveler who passes by on a stormy night. "There's always room for one more," says Lachie, and how his grateful guests say a wonderful "Thank you" provides a delightfully warm and tender ending to this hilarious tale of kindness.

The Wednesday Surprise


Eve Bunting - 1989
    Dad thinks he has received all his presents, but Grandma stands up and gives him the best one of all: she reads aloud the stories that Anna has taught her.

The Matatu


Eric Walters - 2012
    But today, for his fifth birthday, he climbs aboard one with his grandfather. As the matatu pulls away from the market, the village dogs chase after them. When Kioko asks his grandfather why the dogs always bark and chase after matatus, his grandfather tells him an entertaining tale about a dog, a goat and a sheep. Set in East Africa, The Matatu is a colorful story filled with many unexpected turns and twists along the way.

We Are Water Protectors


Carole Lindstrom - 2020
    . .When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people's water, one young water protectorTakes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.

black is brown is tan


Arnold Adoff - 1973
    White-skinned daddy, not white like milk or snow, lighter than brown, With pinks and tiny tans, whose face gets tomato red when he puffs and yells their children into bed. Children who are all the colors of the race, growing up happy in a house full of love. This is the way it is for them; this is the way they are, but the joy they feel extends to every reader of this book.Black is brown is tan is a story poem about being, a beautiful true song about a family delighting in each other and in the good things of the earth.

What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?


Richard Van Camp - 1998
    He is a member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation, a Native North American tribe that uses dogs instead of horses, because it's too cold for them up in Canada! One wintry day, he decides to do some investigating. Our friendly guide invites us to accompany him on his playful search for the most beautiful thing about horses. He asks his family, his friends, and even the artist, George Littlechild, what is the most beautiful thing they know about horses. The answers he gets range from zany to profound, and show him that even seemingly ordinary things can be seen in entirely new ways.

The Magical Monkey King: Mischief in Heaven


Ji-li Jiang - 2002
    Smart, brave, powerful, and most of all mischievous, Monkey King finds himself in the midst of adventure at every turn. Join Monkey as he wins his title as King of the Monkeys, studies with a great sage to learn the secrets of immortality, and even takes on the job as a royal gardener in the Kingdom of Heaven. With Monkey, be prepared for surprises! Red Scarf Girl author Ji-Li Jiang?s retelling of these stories about the legendary Monkey King are accompanied by brand-new illustrations by Youshan Tang, using Chinese brush painting and pen drawings.

Ohana Means Family


Ilima Loomis - 2020
    An American Library Association Notable Children's BookThis is the land that's never been sold, where work the hands, so wise and old, that reach through the water, clear and cold, into the mud to pick the taro to make the poi for our ohana's luau.Acclaimed illustrator and animator Kenard Pak's light-filled, dramatic illustrations pair exquisitely with Ilima Loomis' text to celebrate Hawaiian land and culture.The backmatter includes a glossary of Hawaiian terms used, as well as an author's note.A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearA New York Public Library Best Book of the YearA Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year!A Booklist Editor's Choice

When the Shadbush Blooms


Carla Messinger - 2007
    The past is nearly 400 years ago, when the Lenape people lived a traditional life barely touched by European traders. The present is contemporary America, as the Lenape continue to adapt to a changing world while remaining close to the land and to each other.

Ninja Red Riding Hood


Corey Rosen Schwartz - 2014
    Wolf just can’t catch a break! Ever since the three little pigs started teaching everyone Ninja skills, huffing and puffing just hasn’t been enough to scare up a good meal. His craving for meat sends Wolf to classes at the dojo, and soon he’s ready to try out his new moves. A little girl and her tiny granny should be easy targets--right? Not if Little Red has anything to say about it! Kiya!

You Hold Me Up


Monique Gray Smith - 2017
    This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.

The Girl and the Wolf


Katherena Vermette - 2019
    When she realizes she is lost, she begins to panic. A large grey wolf makes a sudden appearance between some distant trees. Using his sense of smell, he determines where she came from and decides to help her. Through a series of questions from the wolf, the little girl realizes she had the knowledge and skill to navigate herself--she just needed to remember that those abilities were there all along.

Suki's Kimono


Chieri Uegaki - 2003
    A gift from her obachan, it holds special memories of her grandmother's visit last summer. And Suki is going to wear it on her first day back to school --- no matter what anyone says.When it's Suki's turn to share with her classmates what she did during the summer, she tells them about the street festival she attended with her obachan and the circle dance that they took part in. In fact, she gets so carried away reminiscing that she's soon humming the music and dancing away, much to the delight of her entire class!Filled with gentle enthusiasm and a touch of whimsy, Suki's Kimono is the joyful story of a little girl whose spirit leads her to march --- and dance --- to her own drumbeat.

All Around Us


Xelena González - 2017
    We just have to look for them. Sometimes they exist in the most unusual places.Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. “Can you see? That’s only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth.” He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning exploration of the cycles of life and nature.

The Seven Chinese Brothers


Margaret Mahy - 1990
    "Exceptional." - School Library Journal, starred review