Great Read Alouds: Native American Heritage Month
We All Play: Kimêtawânaw by Julie Flett
November is Native American Heritage Month, which provides a wonderful opportunity to appreciate, celebrate and reflect on the native peoples and cultures of this land. These children's books are a terrific way to experience the joy of storytelling and art whether your family has native heritage or you want to deepen your understanding of the people and culture.
We All Play: Kimêtawânaw by Julie Flett
This gorgeously illustrated book is all about the joys of being playful and connecting how children and nature often play in the same ways. It is a great way to introduce some of the beautiful creatures we share the world with. The book is also wonderfully interactive and will have you and your child chirping, peeking and wiggling. It's perfect for high-energy story time with your family. You'll also find a glossary and pronunciation guide of Cree words for all of the animals in the book!
“Stunning illustrations, fun alliteration, a fantastic vocabulary, and shout-it-out repetition make this a favorite… The images are soft, warm, and full of exuberant movement.”—Christian Science Monitor
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story written by Kevin Noble Maillard & illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Fry Bread has received more than a dozen honors and awards including The Robert F Sibert Medal and the American Indian Association Youth Literature Award. The book centers around a family and what the delicious dish means to them. It shows the love and care they put into preparing the food alongside the love and care they put into each other. The story is told through verse and is perfect for reading together!
"Using brief statements that begin 'fry bread is,' Maillard, who is a member of the Mekusukey band of the Seminole Nation tribe, creates a powerful meditation on the food as 'a cycle of heritage and fortune.'"–Publishers Weekly
The Gift of the Great Buffalo written by Carole Lindstrom & illustrated by Aly McKnight
One of the standout aspects of this book is the gorgeous illustrations. It is a visual treat full of the color and beauty of the plains and its people. The book is also a dramatic and riveting story of how life on the plains was for Indigenous communities. The story focuses on a girl, Rose, and her place in the biannual buffalo hunt her family has traveled to. I love that this book tells the stories of the plains that are not often heard.
"Before there was a little house on the prairie, there was a tipi on the prairie."
“Lindstrom's engaging text is well paired with McKnight's expansive, atmospheric watercolor and graphite illustrations. . . . This Métis/Ojibwe perspective of life on the prairie by two Native creators is a moving tribute to a culture and people.” ―Horn Book
