Indigenous People Children's Literature

The First Strawberries

Written By: Joseph Bruchac

Illustrations By: Anna Vojtech

Synopsis: The retelling of this Native American classic tale tells a story about a Cherokee legend, explaining the tale of how strawberries came to this earth. This children's book will explain the origins of strawberries based on how they were formed and what they were made of.

Resources:

http://www.northerncherokeenation.com/the-cherokee-legend-of-the-first-strawberry.html

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2016/05/how-strawberry-came-to-cherokee-people.html

We Are Water Protectors

Written By: Carole Lindstrom

Synopsis: "We Are Water Protectors" tells the story of a young Ojibwe girl and her ancestral people take on the challenge of the "black snake" an oil pipeline that is threatening their way of living. This literature gives a clear message to protect the Earth's water from any harm's way because water has a feeling inside as well.

Resource:

https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/librarians-hesitate-on-we-are-water-protectors/

https://twowritingteachers.org/2020/05/11/authorspotlight-lindstrom/

https://www.independencemuseum.org/lessons/we-are-water-protectors/

Dreamers

Written By: Yuyi Morales

Synopsis: "Dreamers" tells the story of making your home a safe and comfortable space. This story is a lesson about finding your hopes and dreams to your life. We can be uncertain about where we want to be, but if we keep believing in ourselves, we can overcome anything. A girl named Yuyi imagines who she is and what she wants to set out to be, which is why she follows her heart.

Resource:

https://www.nrm.org/2020/02/yuyi-morales-dreamers/

https://www.adl.org/media/12244/download

https://blogs.roosevelt.edu/literacy/2019/08/01/dreamers-by-yuyi-morales/

The Star People

Written By: S.D. Nelson

Synopsis: This is the story about a brother and sister named Sister Girl and Young Wolf who journey away from their village to watch the different animals eagles, horses, and other creatures. This book gives an extraterrestrial feeling, because Sister Girl and Young Wolf wake up with amnesia with no record of their identity, life purpose, or origin.

Resource:

https://montanapioneer.com/legends-of-the-star-people/

https://www.kidpressroom.com/childrens-books-featuring-native-american-characters/

Fry Bread

Written By: Kevin Noble Maillard

Illustrated By: Juana Martinez Neal

Synopsis: This Native American tale tells the story about how fry bread became a part of Native American diet after the people were forced away from their lands by the US Government. This sweet book will give readers example of how to make fry bread from scratch. One quote "Fry bread brings families together". This is the origin story of bread.

Resource:https://www.npr.org/2019/12/30/791815090/a-holiday-feast-of-fry-bread-yes-please

https://hereweeread.com/2019/10/fry-bread-a-native-american-family-story-a-book-review.html

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/frybread-79191/