The Song That Called Them Home

Written by David A. Robertson

Illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Tundra Books

978-0-7352-6670-4

52 pp.

Ages 4-8

April 2023

 

A day out with their Moshom becomes a supernatural experience when a child must enter the world of the Memekwesewak to rescue her little brother.

From The Song That Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illus. by Maya McKibbin

During a trip to the land with their grandfather, Lauren and her little brother James head out in their canoe to fish while Moshom takes a nap. But after stirring up the waters to attract the fish, the waters become violent, and the kids are tossed into the lake.

From The Song That Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illus. by Maya McKibbin

When Lauren resurfaces, she sees the Memekwesewak, or Little People, dragging her brother beyond a waterfall. Following, Lauren discovers a portal to their world where the Memekwesewak dance with James around a fire and sing a song to keep him with them. Things worsen when Lauren tries to release him from their supernatural bindings, and she too is ensnared. Only when a song from their own world penetrates and beckons them home do the kids return to their Moshom.

Come back! You've been gone so long!

What places have you found to roam!

Come back! Hear my welcome song!

My beating drum will guide you home!

Governor General's Literary Award-winning author David A. Robertson tells his best stories when he reaches into the stories of his family and people, as he has done here with his father's story of an encounter with the mischievous Memekwesewak. Perhaps that is why the story of The Song That Called Them Home seems so believable. It is rooted in the ordinary, in an outing with a grandfather who takes a nap as the children fish. What happens when they fall in the water, though, is perhaps the stuff of legends and the supernatural. But, as David A. Robertson's "Author's Note About the Memekwesewak" tells us, perhaps this part of the story is just as real. Regardless, this story reminds us that when we're lost, whether to the surreal or the dangerous, there is hope that those who love us will call us home and we will hear them. The threatening voices of the Memekwesewak, or contemporary dangers of risky behaviours and unsafe friendships, may seem unyielding but there are those who would guide us back to safety, as does Moshom with his song and drum.

From The Song That Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illus. by Maya McKibbin

That ordinary and extraordinary is conveyed in the art of Maya McKibbin, an Ojibwe, Yoeme, and Irish-settler artist who illustrated the Governor General nominated Swift Fox All Along. Maya McKibbin's digital art transitions from the calm and comfort of family and the land and water to that of the turmoil of the Memekwesewak's world. They plunge us into the danger and the fears associated with the Little People through their use of line and shape as well as colour, emphasizing the wildness and the uncertainly that comes with the rush of the Memekwesewak, pasty creatures with purplish ink and long pale hair. Still, if you're worried about little ones being frightened, don't be. Maya McKibbin does not play up the fearful elements; instead, they emphasize the bonds of family and connection in Lauren and her brother, and the strains of a drum beat that can "Thum Thump" to draw them home.

 

While a story based in an Indigenous legend of the Little People, The Song That Called Them Home speaks to everyone. I can only hope that everyone will always have a song to call them home and the heart to hear it.

The Gift of the Little People : A Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak Story

Written by William Dumas

Illustrated by Rhian Brynjolson

HighWater Press

978-1-553799924

48 pp.

Ages 8-12

February 2022

 

While many of us are not fortunate enough to hear a storyteller like William Dumas share the tales of his oral storytelling tradition, illustrated books like The Gift of the Little People are an ideal method for getting those stories told and for providing the visuals that our own experiences might not be able to provide. With words and art together, The Gift of the Little People transports us to the northern Manitoba community of South Indian Lake to see how a legendary people gave the Rocky Cree the medicine they needed for healing.

From The Gift of the Little People by William Dumas, illus. by Rhian Brynjolson

The narrator recalls growing up in remote South Indian Lake and hearing the elders tell stories in the evening. These stories included those of the 3 kinds of little people who were no taller than our knees: those who were static-voiced (mīmīkwīsiwak); those who were troll-like; and those that looked like tiny human beings (apiscithinīwak).

One story he remembers his father telling was of a man named âhâsiw (the Crow) of the Rocky Cree who lived along the Misinippi river (now known as the Churchill River). When there were reports of new people coming into mistiwāsahak (Hudson's Bay) with many new tools and items for trade, a delegation was sent. Upon their return, after numerous favourable trades, a feast was held. But a few days later, several members of that delegation fell ill and then person after person within the band became sick and died. âhâsiw did all he could to heal them but he also prayed for help. And help comes one night in the form of a little man who tells him that the medicine was available but he could only reach it by going through a solid rock face across the lake.

From The Gift of the Little People by William Dumas, illus. by Rhian Brynjolson

Though the task that the little person had given âhâsiw and oskâpêwis (his helper) seemed impossible, it was the means by which the Rocky Cree are able to connect with the little people and help heal themselves.

From The Gift of the Little People by William Dumas, illus. by Rhian Brynjolson

The Gift of the Little People is a companion book to William Dumas's Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series which explores the language, culture, knowledge, territory, and history of the Rocky Cree (Asiniskaw Īthiniwak) people. The first book in the series Pīsim Finds Her Miskanaw (2020) will be joined by a second, Amō's Sapotawan, later this year. With The Gift of the Little People, author William Dumas shares much about the Rocky Cree from both a historical and spiritual perspective. From life in a remote location without electricity to the devastation of first contact with Europeans, The Gift of the Little People reveals life of the Rocky Cree and the traditions upon which they prevailed. But within that framework, William Dumas tells readers of the little people. Whether it is folklore based in legends or otherwise–there are countless claims of evidence that the little people exist–the folklore of how the little people came to the aid of the Rocky Cree people when illness resulted from first contact with Europeans is a story worth telling. It's about trusting unlikely allies and accepting challenges for good. And with the artwork of Manitoba visual artist and educator Rhian Brynjolson honouring the First Nations with both its realism and style, without misappropriation, The Gift of the Little People has more than one story to tell of the Rocky Cree and their history and culture.

Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series

The Spirit Trackers

Written by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Illustrated by François Thisdale

Fifth House Publishers

978-1-92708-311-6

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

November 2017

It's been far too long since the CanLit world has welcomed a book from Jan Bourdeau Waboose, a First Nation Anishinaabe of the Ojibway Bear Clan of northern Ontario.  Adding to her stunning collection of picture books which includes SkySisters, Morning on the Lake and Firedancers, Jan Bourdeau Waboose's telling tale of Ojibway traditions and the relationship between children and their uncle is breathtakingly illustrated by François Thisdale, award-winning artist of The Stamp Collector, Missing Nimâmâ, and French Toast.  The Spirit Trackers is a magnificent story in words and art, melding together First Nations and an intergenerational relationship with legends and spirits and the wonder of children.

Illustration by François Thisdale 

used in The Spirit Trackers by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Two cousins are awed by the stories told by their uncle of their clan, the Moose Clan, and their heritage of extraordinary trackers but it's the story of the Windigo that truly captures their attention.  His story of the Wandering Night Spirit of Winter is a warning to the boys. 

"Watch out for the Windigo on a winter night.  It has a heart of ice, and its teeth are like steel.  It will eat anything in its way!" 

"Even the best Trackers disappear in Windigo's footsteps."

In the night, the boys are awakened by a Thump! Bang! and, upon seeing a black shadow cross the window, are convinced the Windigo has visited their uncle's house.  The next day, however, evidence in the snow and on a tree compel the two to put their tracking skills to work.  But far from the house, hearing a sad cry that "slices the air like a trapper's knife" the two are immobilized with terror.  It may not be the Windigo but the boys demonstrate the aptitude in tracking and their reverence for the natural world, especially for an animal they know to honour.

Jan Bourdeau Waboose infuses her atmospheric text with the companionship of family and an appreciation for traditions and legends of First Nations. Because of that, an occasion of storytelling becomes more; it becomes a lesson in caution and curiosity and heritage. Tom and Will are apt students at their Uncle's knee, listening, hearing and learning.  Resplendent in snow, the frigid medium of trackers, The Spirit Trackers is an appropriate visual and textual read for the winter season.  Artist François Thisdale makes sure that his illustrations transport readers to that frosty season and to a life of snowshoes, moosehide clothing, and ravens.  Combining photographs, drawings and paint with digital imagery, François Thisdale lends a supernatural essence to the story, perfect for a pair of boys already spooked by their disquietude about the Windigo but determined to follow the path of their tracker ancestors into the unknown winter stillness shattered by a haunting cry.

Illustration by François Thisdale 

used in The Spirit Trackers by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Whether you believe in the Windigo is irrelevant.  The boys believe, as does their Uncle, and in the stillness and cold of winter, it's a story, like The Spirit Trackers, that has much to teach.

❅❅❅❅❅❅

The illustrations included in this review are derived from illustrator François Thisdale's Facebook page at Thisdale illustration.

Those Who Run in the Sky

Written by Aviaq Johnston

Illustrated by Toma Feizo Gas

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-121-8

200 pp.

Ages 10+

April 2017

The young hunter knew that the sky above danced in joy with northern lights.  Since it was rare at this time of year, it meant that this day was going to go well, and that the spirits were on the side of the living, allowing them to carry on with their lives. (pg. 1)

Piturniq, or Pitu as he is often called, is the young hunter, a boy of sixteen who is becoming known as the Great Hunter.  This is his coming-of-age story.

From Those Who Run in the Sky 

by Aviaq Johnston 

illus. by Toma Feizo Gas

As a young man, Piturniq is already acknowledged as a good hunter, helping to provide for his mother, brothers and sister as well as sharing with the family of Saima to whom he wishes to become betrothed. But he senses a disquiet in himself and others towards him, particularly from his mother.  He grapples with his pride, jealousy, annoyance and anger, and the meaning of his nightly dreams of a fox and an old man on an island.  Though he wishes he might be as great as his father, Piturniq is surprised when Tagaaq, the camp leader and son of a shaman mother, suggests Pitu might be the village's next leader.  In fact, Tagaaq tells Pitu that the spirits have whispered to him and told him that Pitu is to become a shaman, though there is much darkness in his future.

Tagaaq takes Pitu under his wing, teaching him through his stories, including those of his shaman mother and a great shaman who disappeared from the world after the deaths of his beautiful wife and children.  Though both Pitu and Saima are eager to wed, the boy is instructed to wait until he completes his lessons.  But all must wait after a winter hunting trip leaves Pitu alone in the harsh environment and entering the spirit world.  Here Pitu struggles to survive, seeking shelter and food, and then combating supernatural demons, wolves, qallupilluq and more.  But it is also here where Pitu meets the fox, Tiri, who is Pitu's tuurngaq (a shaman's spirit guide), and the old man, an angry and brittle shaman named Taktuq, who will help the boy grow into the shaman he is destined to become.

From Those Who Run in the Sky 

by Aviaq Johnston 

illus. by Toma Feizo Gas

Though Those Who Run in the Sky is Piturniq's journey of becoming a man with the courage and faith to serve his family and his community, as well as attend to the spirit world, it is also a story of an Inuit lifestyle of long ago.  The details provided by Aviaq Johnston, a young Nunavut writer, deal with hunting practices, family and adoption, summer and winter camps, relationships with other communities, and the creatures of the supernatural world, and they become the rich fabric of Piturniq's story.  The traditions of this Inuit culture wrap Pitu' story in a reality that needs to be shared with all youth, Indigenous and otherwise.  It's a glimpse into a time that might once have been shared through the storytelling tradition.  Thankfully Those Who Run in the Sky, which refers to the spirits chasing after a walrus head and thus producing the northern lights, can now share the stories in a text for all to read.

The black and white illustrations by Ottawa animator and digital artist Toma Feizo Gas that dot the text of Those Who Run in the Sky deepen the surreal nature of Pitu's journey, adding to the story without taking over.  With text as lavish in historical and emotive detail as is provided by Aviaq Johnston, Those Who Run in the Sky did not need more.

With the publication of Those Who Run in the Sky, which was recently nominated for the 2017 Governor General's Award for Young People's Literature (Text), the northern lights must be dancing with joy.

The Gnawer of Rocks

Written by Louise Flaherty

Illustrated by Jim Nelson

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-165-2

60 pp.

Ages 9-14

October 2017

Author Louise Flaherty prefaces the telling of her story with its origins, the storytelling tradition of an Inuk storyteller Levi Iqalugjuaq who would visit their school in the 1970s.  This legend was one of many he told the students.

From The Gnawer of Rocks 

by Louise Flaherty 

illus. by Jim Nelson

As an Inuit camp prepares to pack up for the trek to its winter grounds, two girls, with babies in their care, go off for a walk, to soothe the children.  As they walk, they find beautiful smooth stones, and even lovelier ones as they continue, until they are lead to the mouth of a cave strewn with bones.  Drawn to the shinier stones within, the girls and their charges become trapped when the cave slams behind them.  Forced to enter further, they are horrified to discover a cache of human heads and bones which they suspect are those of missing children. One of the heads warns them that they are in the dwelling of Mangittatuarjuk and to escape by digging through the gravel walls but the warning comes too late as the hideous creature crawls out of the shadows.

From The Gnawer of Rocks 

by Louise Flaherty 

illus. by Jim Nelson

The old woman with extraordinarily long arms blocks their way but one of the girls taunts her to show them her strength, challenging her to bite down on a stone. Whilst Mangittatuarjuk attempts to gnaw at the rock, the other girl uses a bone to dig through the wall, ultimately allowing the girls to escape.  Returning to camp with their news, the hunters set out to kill the creature to ensure the safety of all their children.  Mangittatuarjuk is called forth from her cave, the men claiming they have come to honour her.  Tending to her feet, one of the hunters ties a rope around one so that their dogs could drag her from the cave entrance and across the sharp rocks to kill her.  Only after hours does the creature die of her injuries, at which time the hunters cut up her body so that her spirit could not return to life.

Louise Flaherty honours the storytelling tradition of her parents, grandparents and ancestors with this telling of Mangittatuarjuk, The Gnawer of Rocks.  This legend, like all, is rife with cautions to children who might stray too far, as well as honouring those who rise to the challenge of protecting children.  Inuit legends abound with scary creatures like Mangittatuarjuk and are told in such a way that one might never question their veracity.  Somewhere someone knows whose ancestor was one of the hunters or the girls, and it is just repeat tellings of the story that makes it sound more incredible.  American artist Jim Nelson's shadow-rich graphics convey the cold of that Arctic landscape and the gloom and blackness of the creature's cave and force.  Coupled with the graphic novel format, the illustrations support the grisly story's premise while advancing the story at a brisk pace.

True or not, The Gnawer of Rocks is splendid storytelling, horrific in its content but wise in its consul.

From The Gnawer of Rocks 

by Louise Flaherty 

illus. by Jim Nelson

Inuit Spirit: A Colouring Book

by Germaine Arnaktauyok

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-126-3

48 pp.

Ages 7+

December 2016

This may be a colouring book and I know the expectation is that pencil crayons will be taken to the black-and-white line drawings, but it almost seems sacrilegious to mar Germaine Arnaktauyok’s stunning illustrations.  Perhaps this reverence is essential for all who behold this book as it will ensure that, even if you do take on the near impossible task of bringing new life to Germaine Arnaktauyok’s outlines, you do so with respect, care and an authentic appreciation for her images of traditional Inuit life.

From Inuit Spirit: A Colouring Book 

by Germaine Arnaktauyok

There are twenty-nine different line drawings that may be coloured, from the title page to Neil Christopher’s introduction and the author’s page, though the emphasis is definitely on the 26 drawings set up in double spreads opposite explanatory text about the art.  Some of the art focuses on the natural landscape of the North like the numerous drawings of the tundra plants including willow, lichens, saxifrage, bilberry, and its inhabitants such as the Arctic char, plankton, sea mammals, ptarmigan and gulls.  Other drawings feature characters  from traditional Inuit stories such as the very creepy mahahaa, the taliillajuuq, the qallupilluit, the nanurluk and Sedna, the mother of the sea mammals, as well as scenes from these tales. (See reviews of Way Back Then and Those That Cause Fear by Neil Christopher (Inhabit Media, 2015 and 2016, respectively) for original illustrations by Germaine Arnaktauyok for these and similar stories.) There are also several line drawings of Inuit dress and activities such as drumming.

From Inuit Spirit: A Colouring Book 

by Germaine Arnaktauyok

The text is informative, bringing a knowledge of Inuit life and traditions to help clarify the black-and-white artwork. While the snippets are generally quite brief, the text teaches while helping the reader/colourist discern the elements of the drawing and selecting colours.

Inuit Spirit may not be graced as completely as it could be with Germaine Arnaktauyok’s own colouring version of pointillism–though there is a lengthy discussion of her style being based on squiggles of varying densities–but this colouring book brings an interactive element to her remarkable illustration and to the book’s aim of bringing the art of Inuit life to those beyond the northern areas.  Perhaps by doing rather than just seeing, readers of Inuit Spirit will achieve a new appreciation for Inuit life in general and Germaine Arnaktauyok's art specifically as defining of the northern experience.

The Hill

by Karen Bass

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-002-4

256 pp.

Ages 12+

March 2016

Karen Bass, the award-winning author of Graffiti Knight (Pajama Press, 2013) and Uncertain Soldier (Pajama Press, 2015), takes writing flight with The Hill, a chilling tale of endurance in northern Alberta, blending a survival story with the supernatural of Cree legends.  It’s hauntingly gripping YA and I think it's her best story yet.

Privileged Jared Frederickson is going to spend a mandatory three weeks with his dad when his dad’s private plane in which the teen is travelling from Edmonton to Yellowknife crashes in a mosquito-infested swamp in the northern Alberta bush.  He and the unconscious pilot are discovered by Cree teen, Kyle Badger, who was nearby at their moose camp with his Kokum (grandmother), Moshum (grandfather) and little brother Sam.   Jared and Kyle, both fifteen, are so different in their attitudes, physiques, and family that it’s not surprising that they disagree as to the best course of action.  Sadly, Jared is determined that if he climbs to the top of the adjacent hill he could get cell reception and call for help.  Though Kyle thinks they should stay at the accident scene, especially since his Kokum had always warned him that “no Cree, no person evers walks on that hill” (pg. 20), he follows Jared knowing that his Kokum would be ashamed of him for not helping the boy.

So begins a treacherous journey both onto the ominous hill and into the supernatural world.  After a night on the hill where, of course, cell reception is non-existent, the two return via Kyle’s notched-tree path to the swamp where everything is different: the jet is gone, the mosquitoes are gone, the swamp is smaller as in drier years, and there is a forest fire in the area.  Kyle is obviously freaked out–“Sometimes scared is the smartest thing you can be” (pg. 29)–though Jared, with his better-than-anyone attitude, ridicules Kyle for not knowing where they are.  Returning to the moose camp, the two see Kyle’s Kokum, as if behind a grey curtain of fog, praying for him and then warning them to run.  Kyle believes that they’ve entered the spirit world and, based on the stories he’s been told, that they’ve woken up Wîhtiko, the monster of Cree legends who craves human flesh.

The two boys must now work together, no easy feat for a spoiled rich kid who’d always gotten his way and knows nothing of the outdoors and for a hulky First Nations teen who refuses, admirably, to be a lackey to anyone but learned well from his grandparents of respect and integrity and perseverance.  Outrunning Wîhtiko is just the beginning of their foray into the supernatural world and one which they must survive if they are able to return safely to their own corporeal one without bringing harm to others.

In addition to a gripping action-rich plot of frightening circumstances, getting the voices of Jared and Kyle and the tone of the story right are Karen Bass’ greatest strengths in The Hill.  She balances the heart-pumping pace of a looking-over-your-shoulder chase with the antagonistic sparring between Jared and Kyle.  The two are so different in what they have, what they know, and who they are that it’s only fate in the form of a plane crash that could bring the two together. Though it is evident that Kyle has much to offer in the way of outdoors experience and familial grounding, Jared learns that he too has some value and can be integral in their escape.  Fortunately for them, and those who read this story, Karen Bass demonstrates that even the most of awkward of allies can achieve great things when they work together, whether it is to outsmart a blood-thirsty monster or finding your way home.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tomorrow 

April 12, 2016

from 7-8:30 p.m.

author Karen Bass

will be reading and signing copies of

The Hill 

at 

Owl’s Nest Books 

815A 49 Ave SW

Calgary, AB 

(403) 287-9557

 It's a great opportunity to get a signed copy and hear a reading of The Hill from the author who made it so frightening.

Aboriginal Perspectives in youngCanLit Picture Books

With June designated in Canada as National Aboriginal History Month, I thought it incumbent upon me to create a list of picture books, both fiction and non-fiction, that honour the heritage, achievements and cultures of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.  Although I know that I have not included all that I could, please accept this list of 65 titles as my small contribution to promoting this rich history.

Aboriginal Alphabet for Children 

Written by Evelyn Ballantyne
Illustrated by J. Marilyn Ross and  Noah Head

Pemmican  
32 pp.  
Ages 3-6 
2002  
Each letter reflects cultural artifacts from First Nations, Metis, and Inuit.

An Aboriginal Carol
Written by David Bouchard

Illustrated by Moses Beaver
Performed by Susan Aglukark  
Red Deer Press 
32 pp.  
Ages 4 +  
2008 
The Huron Carol reworked with an Aboriginal world . Written in English and Inuktituk.  Also available in French.

Ancient Thunder  
Written by Leo Yerxa  
Groundwood Books 
32 pp.  
Ages 7-10 
2006 
Lyrical story of horses and native dress.

At the Heart of It (The Land is Our Storybook series)
Written by Mindy Willet and Raymond Taniton
Photographs by Tessa MacIntosh
Fifth House Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 7-11 
2011 
Ramond Taniton is Sahtugot'ine of Deline, NWT and he shares their rich history.

Beyond the Northern Lights 
Written by Lynn Blaikie 
Fitzhenry & Whiteside  
24 pp.  
Ages 4-8 
2006  
Folkloric tale of Raven in a First Nations community.

The Caribou Feed Our Soul (The Land is Our Storybook series)
Written by Pete Enzoe and Mindy Willet
Photographs by Tessa MacIntosh
Fifth House Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 7-11
2010
Pete Enzoe is Chipewyan Dene from Lutsel K’e, Northwest Territories who shares stories and the history of his people and their relationship with the caribou, including going on a respectful caribou hunt.

Caribou Song

Written by Thomson Highway

Illustrated by John Rombough  
Fifth House Publishers  
32 pp.  
Ages 4+ 
2013 
Two boys are traveling across the tundra by dogsled with their parents when they find themselves in the midst of  running caribou herds.

Come and Learn With Me (The Land is Our Storybook series)
Written by Sheyenne Jumbo and Mindy Willet
Photographs by Tessa MacIntosh
Fifth House Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 7-11
2009
Nine-year-old Sheyenne shares the daily life of the Dene Yatie on Trout Lake in NWT during the fall moose season.

The Coyote Columbus Story
Written by Thomas King
Illustrated by Kent Monkman
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 7-11
2007
Humourous tale based on the arrival of Europeans and their interactions with a female Coyote and the Aboriginal Peoples.

A Coyote Solstice Tale
Written by Thomas King
Illustrated by Gary Clement
Groundwood Books
64 pp.
Ages 7-11
2009
Coyote's plans for a festive solstice with his friends go awry when they meet a girl who introduces the mayhem of Christmas shopping to them.

The Delta Is My Home: Ehdutat shanankat t'agoonch'uu 

Written by Tom McLeod and Mindy Willet
Photographs by Tessa McIntosh
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
26 pp.
Ages 7-11
2008
Eleven-year-old Tom McLeod, of Gwich'in and Inuvialuit heritage, shares his life at the Mackenzie Delta.

The Diamond Willow Walking Stick

Written by Leah Marie Dorion

Michif translation by Norman Fleury 
Gabriel Dumont Institute  
48 pp.   
Ages 8-12 
2012 
Subtitled: A Traditional Métis Story about Generosity.  Michif translation included.

The Drum Calls Softly
Written by David Bouchard and Shelley Willier

Illustrated by Jim Poitras 
Red Deer Press  
32 pp.  
Ages 8-12 
2008  
(with CD of singing and drumming by Northern Cree Singers) Spiritual journey of character as part of a traditional Cree drum dance.

Eneèko Nàmbe Ik’oò K’eèzho = The Old Man with the Otter Medicine  
Told by John Blondin as told by George Blondin

Illustrated by Archie Beaverho
Translated by Mary Rose Sundberg  
Theytus Books  
40 pp.  
Ages 5-10 
2007 
(Includes CD) Story about the medicine power of an elder who helps a small group of people to overcome the threat of starvation during a hard winter.  In Dogrib and English.

The Gathering Tree

Written by Larry Loyie with Constance Brissenden

Illustrated by Heather D. Holmlund  
Theytus Books  
48 pp.  
Ages 9-13 
2005  
Set in a Pacific Northwest coast First Nations community, a young man returns home dealing with HIV.

The Ghost and the Lone Warrior
Written by C. J. Taylor
Tundra
24 pp.
Ages 8-13
1991
Lone Warrior is tested for his courage and determination by the ghost of his ancestor.

The Gift of the Inuksuk

Written by Mike Ulmer
Illustrated by Melanie Rose  
Sleeping Bear Press 
32 pp.  
Ages 5-12 
2004  
Though not a true Inuit story, it tells how the Inuksuit (plural) came to be.

Grandmother Ptarmigan

Written by Qaunaq Mikkigak and Joanne Schwartz

Illustrated by Qin Leng  
Inhabit Media  
24 pp.   
Ages 0-4 
2013  
Inuit origin story of why ptarmigans cry, "Nauk, Nauk" and why baby ptarmigans fly so young.

Gray Wolf's Search
Written by Bruce Swanson
Illustrated by Gary Peterson
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 6-8
2007
Young Gray Wolf must find an important person in order for his future to be successful.

Hidden Buffalo (Northern Lights Books for Children)

Written by Rudy Wiebe

Illustrated by Michael Lonechild  
Red Deer Press  
32 pp.  
Ages 7-10 
2003

Retelling of an ancient Cree legend of a vision where the buffalo are.

Kamik an Inuit Puppy Story  
Written by Donald Uluadluak

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Inhabit Media  
32 pp.  
Ages 4-9  
2012  
Story of an Inuit boy and his expectations for his new pup and the wisdom his grandfather shares with him.  

The Legend of Lightning and Thunder

Written by Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt
Illustrated by Jo Rioux 
Inhabit Media  
40 pp.  
Ages 5-8 
2013  
Retelling of the Inuit myth of the creation of lightning and thunder, and the importance of caring for everyone.

The Legend of the Caribou Boy

Told by John Blondin as told by George Blondin

Illustrated by Ray McSwain

Translated by Mary Rose Sundberg  
Theytus Books  
40 pp.  
Ages 5-10 
2007  
Retelling of a traditional First Nation Dogrib tale about a young boy who leaves his family to follow a herd of Caribou. In Dogrib and English. (CD included)

The Legend of the Fog 
Written by Qaunaq Mikkigak & Joanne Schwartz
Illustrated by Danny Christopher 
Inhabit Media  
40 pp.  
Ages 7-10 
2010
From the Kiviuq legends of a man named Quannguaviniq who sees an evil spirit called tuurngaq while out on the tundra and how he attempts to escape it.

Living Stories: Godi Weghaa Ets'eeda
Written by Therese Zoe, Philip Zoe and Mindy Willet
Photographs by Tess MacIntosh
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 7-11
2009
Therese Zoe, a Tlicho woman from NWT, shares the sacred stories and traditional wisdom of the community's elders.

Long Powwow Nights

Written by David Bouchard, Pam Aleekuk and Patsy Paul-Martin
Illustrated by Leonard Paul 
Red Deer Press  
32 pp.  
Ages 8-14 
2009  
(Includes CD) Written in English and Mi’kmaq, the story tells of powwows and their traditions.

A Man Called Raven

Written by Richard Van Camp

Illustrated by George Littlechild

Children’s Book Press  
32 pp. 
Ages 7+ 
1997  
Set in the NWT, two boys who have been tormenting a raven are taught to respect nature by a mysterious raven man.

The Métis Alphabet Book

Written by Joseph Jean Fauchon

Illustrated by Sheldon Mauvieux 
The Gabriel Dumont Institute  
55 pp.  
Ages 4-8 
2005  
Picture history of the Métis people.

Missuk’s Snow Geese   
Written by Anne Renaud

Illustrated by Geneviève Côté  
Simply Read Books  
36 pp.  
Ages 4-8  
2008  
Missuk, a little girl in the north, dreams of carving snow geese out of soapstone.

The Moccasins

Written by Earl Einarson

Illustrated by Julie Flett 
Theytus Books  
16 pp.  
Ages 3-8 
2004 
The story of a young Aboriginal foster child who is given a special gift.

Nanabosho and the Butterflies 
Written by Joe McLellan and Matrine McLellan

Illustrated by Jackie Traverse 
Pemmican   
43 pp.  
Ages 6-11 
2010 
Ojibway tale of how butterflies came to make children laugh.

The Night Walker

Written by Richard Thompson

Illustrated by Martin Springett  
Fitzhenry & Whiteside 
32 pp.  
Ages 5-8  
2002  
Story of a young boy who goes out to walk in the forest, streams, etc. and loses track of time until he starts to hear things.  First Nations folklore.

Niwechihaw = I Help

Written by Caitlin Dale Nicholson with Leona Morin-Neilson

Illustrated by Caitlin Dale Nicholson 
Groundwood Books 
24 pp.  
Ages 4-6

2008  
Recounts the activities of a young Cree boy with his grandmother.  Written in both Cree and English.

No Borders: Kigliqangittuq (The Land is Our Storybook series)

Written by Darla Evyagotailak and Mindy Willet

Photographs by Tessa MacIntosh

Fifth House Publishers
40 pp.
Ages 7-12
2013
Teen Darla Evyagotailak, an Inuk girl, shows how communities across the border between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are still connected, sharing a common ancestry and language. 

Nokum is My Teacher   
Written by David Bouchard

Illustrated by Allen Sapp

Red Deer Press  
32 pp.  
Ages 8-11 
2007 
(Includes CD with singing and drumming by Northern Cree.) With the help of his grandmother, Nokum, a young Cree boy learns that his schooling does not have to conflict with his Cree heritage.

Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails
Written by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak
Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
Annick Press
24 pp.
Ages 4-7
1993
The mysteries of the northern lights are explained in terms of the Inuit culture.

Not My Girl

Written by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

Annick Press

36 pp.

Ages 6-9

2014

Story of Margaret Pokiak's return to Banks Island and her family after living in a residential school.

Orphans in the Sky (Northern Lights Book for Children)

Written by Jeanne Bushey

Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka  
Red Deer Press  
32 pp.  
Ages 4-8 
2004  
The origin of thunder and lightning are explained in this Inuit origin tale.

Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet 
Written and illustrated by Julie Flett 
Simply Read Books  
56 pp.  
Ages 3-6 
2010  
Picture book celebrates the Métis people and their heritage.

Peace Walker: The Legend of Hiawatha and Tekanawita  
Written by C. J. Taylor

Tundra Books  
48 pp.  
Ages 10+ 
2004  
An Iroquois legend of how Hiawatha and Tekanawita helped the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy come together to fight evil.

Proud to be Inuvialuit: Quviahuktunga Inuvialuugama

Written by James Pokiak and Mindy Willet
Photographs by Tessa MacIntosh

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

32 pp.

Ages

2010

This easy-read non-fiction book tells of the traditional Beluga whale hunting of the Inuvialuit in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories.

The Qalupalik (The Unikkaakuluit Series)

Written by Elisha Kilabuk
Illustrated by Joy Ang  
Inhabit Media 
32 pp.  
Ages 6-8 
2011 
How a little orphan boy is nearly captured by a qalupalik, a monster of Inuit mythology.

Qu'Appelle
Written by David Bouchard
Illustrated by  Michael Lonechild
Raincoast Books
32 pp.
Ages 6-10
2002
Love story legend in which a Cree warrior leaves his betrothed who is devastated by his absence, and falls ill and dies, calling out his name over and over again.

Rainbow Crow
Written by David Bouchard
Illustrated by David Jean
Translated by David Hones
Red Deer Press
32 pp.
Ages 7-9
2012
(Includes audio CD in English, French and Ojibwe.) Retelling of the legend of Crow bringing fire to earth.

The Raven and the Loon
Written by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley
Illustrated by Kim Smith
Inhabit Media
32 pp.
Ages 3-6
2013
An Inuit tale of how the raven and the loon came to look the way they do.

The Red Sash

Written by Jean E. Pendziwol

Illustrated by Nicolas Debon 
Groundwood Books  
32 pp.  
Ages 7-12 
2005  
A young Métis boy wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become a voyageur. Set on the western shore of Lake Superior in the early 1800s. 

A Salmon for Simon
Written by Betty Waterton
Illustrated by Ann Blades
Groundwood
32 pp.
Ages  3-7
1978/2013
Story of a Pacific Northwest boy who wants to catch a salmon but when an eagle drops one in a tidal pool, Simon must decide what he will do.

Scared Sarah (New Beginnings)   

Written by Mary Alice Downie
Illustrated by Muriel Wood 
Fitzhenry & Whiteside  
57 pp. 
Ages 9-11  
2002   
Sarah and her family live in Upper Canada in 1836 where their isolation leaves most of their interactions with the Ojibway. 

Secret of the Dance 

Written by Andrea Spalding and Alfred Scow

Illustrated by Darlene Gait  
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.  
Ages 9-12 
2006  
A young boy, Watl’kitna, remembers how the elders of his First Nations community defied the government’s rule and secretly conducted a potlach.

The Secret of Your Name: Proud to be Métis (Kiimooch ka shinikashooyen: aen kishchitaymook aen li michif iwik)
Written by David Bouchard
Illustrated by Dennis Weber 
Red Deer Press  
32 pp.  
Ages 10-13 
2009  
While sharing his pride in his Métis heritage, the author also apologizes to his ancestor for not embracing that heritage sooner.

The Shaman’s Nephew: A Life in the Far North

Written by Simon Tookoome with Sheldon Oberman

Stoddart Publishing  
55 pp.  
Ages 9+ 
2000  
Tells of the nomadic lifestyle of the Inuit in the Far North, as lived by Simon Tookoome, including traditional stories translated from Inuktitut. 

Shi-shi-etko

Written by Nicola I. Campbell

Illustrated by Kim LaFave 
Groundwood Books
32 pp.  
Ages 5+ 
2005  
Shi-shi-etko’s family is forced to send the young girl to residential school and she does all she can to remember the wonders of her home. 

Shin-chi’s Canoe

Written by Nicola I. Campbell

Illustrated by Kim LaFave

Groundwood Books  
40 pp.  
Ages 5+ 
2008 
Shin-chi is sent off to residential school, with a canoe carved by his father. 

Skysisters   

Written by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Illustrated by Brian Deines  
Kids Can Press 
32 pp. 
Ages 6-9 
2000  
Two Ojibway sisters go out into the cold Northern Ontario night to catch sight of the Skysisters.

A Sled Dog for Moshi
Written by Jeanne Bushey
Illustrated by Germaine Arnatauyok
Hyperion
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
1994
Moshi, an Inuk girl on Baffin Island, wishes for a pup of her own.

The Song Within My Heart

Written by David Bouchard

Illustrated by Allen Sapp 
Raincoast Books  
32 pp.  
Ages 6-10 
2002 
Based on Cree painter Allen Sapp’s childhood memories of life on a reserve in Saskatchewan and getting ready to go to a powwow. 

Tiktala

Written by Margaret Shaw-MacKinnon

Illustrated by László Gal  
Fitzhenry & Whiteside  
32 pp.  
Ages 5-10 
2005  
An Inuit girl wants to be a soapstone carver and is temporarily transformed into a harp seal to gain the right perspective for the art and nature. 

A Walk in the Tundra

Written by Anna Ziegler & Rebecca Hainnu
Illustrated by Qin Leng 
Inhabit Media 
40 pp. 
Ages 5-8 
2011 
An Inuit girl bored with waiting for her friends goes on a walk with her grandmother to pick plants for medicine and tea.

We Feel Good Out Here = Zhik Gwaa'an, Nakhwatthaiitat Gwiinzii (The Land is Our Storybook series)
Written by Julie-Ann Andre and Mindy Willet
Photographs by Tessa MacIntosh
Fifth House
26 pp.
Ages 7-11
2008
Julie-Ann Andre is Gwichya Gwich'in from Tsiigehtchic, NWT, and she shares the story of her family and her land.

When I Was Eight

Written by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard 
Annick Press
32 pp.   
Ages 6-9 
2013 
True story of author’s experience in residential school.

Which Way Should I Go?

Written by Sylvia Olsen with Ron Martin

Illustrated by Kasia Charko 
Sono Nis Press  
40 pp.  
Ages 6-8 
2007  
When Joey’s Nootka grandmother, the most important person in his life, dies, he must find a way to deal with his grief. 

Wild Berries/Pakwa Che Menistru
Written and illustrated by Julie Flett
Translated by Earl N. Cook
Simply Read Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-6
2013
Told in English and Swampy Cree, this is the story of a boy picking blueberries with his grandmother.

Yamoòzha Eyits’o Wets’èkeè Tsà = Yamozha and His Beaver Wife

As told by Vital Thomas

Illustrated by Archie Beaulieu

Translated by Mary Siemens

Theytus Books  
48 pp.  
Ages 5-10 
2007  
(Includes CD) A tale used to help explain the naming of the landscape of the land of the Dene. In Dogrib and English. 

Yetsa’s Sweater

Written by Sylvia Olsen

Illustrated by Joan Larson 
Sono Nis Press

40 pp.  
Ages 8-10 
2006  
Yetsa helps her grandmother with all the tasks needed to knit a Cowichan sweater of the Coast Salish people of BC.

Zoe and the Fawn  
Written by Catherine Jameson

Illustrated by Julie Flett

Theytus Books  
32 pp.  
Ages 5-8 
2006 
Zoe and her father follow a fawn to learn more about it as she learns to respect nature.  Includes the Okanagan (Syilx) language terms for the animals encountered.