CANADIAN ABORIGINAL BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS 2015–2016 CATALOGUE
3
ELEMENT
AR
Y
DISCOVERING
NUMBERS
Neepin Auger
Neepin Auger, illus.
This small counting board book
is uncluttered, colourful, and
bold. Each number from 1 to
10 is featured on its own page.
The numeral is accompanied
by the number word written in
English, French, and Cree. The
matching pictures use objects or
animals important in Aboriginal
cultures: one world, two fish,
three owls, four feathers, five
flowers, six butterflies, seven
sweetgrass bundles, eight teepee
pegs, nine teepees, and ten
arrowheads. A final page com-
piles all the pictures and labels
the objects.
Auger also compiled a com-
panion title, Discovering Words.
Though very simple, both books
will appeal to beginning readers
or students learning English,
French, or Cree as a second
language. Teachers may also use
the illustrations as a spring-
board to discuss aspects of tra-
ditional and modern Aboriginal
cultures.
GRADES: K-5, ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS, FRENCH,
MATHEMATICS, SOCIAL STUDIES
Index/Bibliography: No/No
©2013 12pp. 6.5”x6.5”
colour drawings
ISBN 9781927330982 $8.00 HC
epub 9781927330999 $1.99
Rocky Mountain Books
www.rmbooks.com
DISCOVERING
WORDS
Neepin Auger
Neepin Auger, illus.
Each page of this small alphabet
board book features an animal
or object appealing to young
readers. Many important
aspects of Aboriginal cultures
are featured. Sometimes this
is in the choice of objects such
as canoe, drum, moccasins,
sweat lodge, and teepee. Other
times it is in the illustration
itself such as Métis beading on
a jacket or a woman’s long dark
braid. Each picture is labeled in
English, French, and Cree. The
alphabetical order is based on
the English words. A final page
compiles all the pictures.
GRADES: K-5, ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS, FRENCH,
SOCIAL STUDIES
Index/Bibliography: No/No
©2013 28pp. 6.5”x6.5”
colour drawings
ISBN 9781927330951 $12.00 HC
epub 9781927330968 $2.99
Rocky Mountain Books
www.rmbooks.com
P’ÉSK’A AND THE
FIRST SALMON
CEREMONY
Scot Ritchie
Scot Ritchie, illus.
The salmon ceremony of the
Sts’ailes First Nation, whose
traditional territory is on
Harrison River in BC, is shown
through the eyes of P’ésk’a,
a young Sts’ailes boy, from a
thousand years ago. This short
story illustrates the activities of
a Sts’ailes community in a way
that young children can connect
with. The Sts’ailes People and
their cultural practices are
shown in a respectful way. The
illustrations are also rich in
detail. Additional information
about the Sts’ailes First Nation
is provided at the end of the
story, as is a glossary with
pronunciation. The author is
not Aboriginal but included
is a letter from Chief William
Charlie of the Sts’ailes People
which expresses the authenticity
of the information given in the
book.
GRADES: K-3, ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE,
SOCIAL STUDIES
Index/Bibliography: No/No
©2015 32pp. 8.5”x10”
colour drawings, line drawn maps
ISBN 9781554987184 $18.95 HC
Groundwood Books
www.groundwoodbooks.com
THE SEVEN
TEACHINGS STORIES
Katherena Vermette
Irene Kuziw, illus.
Love, Bravery, Humility,
Wisdom, Honesty, Truth, and
Respect comprise the seven
teachings of the Anishinaabe.
Each story in this seven-book
collection introduces one of
those teachings.
These stories take place in
a modern urban environment,
most often at school or at home,
and feature recurring Aboriginal
characters. Throughout the
series, authentic cultural ele-
ments such as traditional medi-
cines, hunting, drumming, and
smudging blend seamlessly with
modern touches such as comic
books, seat belts, tag, and night
lights. Complementary but not
strictly sequential, the stories
work together to introduce
young readers to the teachings
in an accessible and engaging
manner.
In Amik Loves School, Amik
shares his positive feelings about
school with his grandfather,
Moshoom, who then shares his
GRADES: K-7, ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS, HEALTH AND
CAREER EDUCATION
Index/Bibliography: No/No
©2014-2015 24pp. 6”x8”
colour drawings
ISBN: 9781553795230 Amik
Loves School: A Story of Wisdom
4
ASSOCIATION OF BOOK PUBLISHERS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA www.books.bc.ca
ELEMENT
AR
Y
own sad memories of attending
residential school. They visit
Amik’s school and notice how
close to home it is, the tradi-
tional language lessons being
taught, and how nice the teacher
is. Moshoom is happy.
In The First Day, Makwa is
scared of starting at a new
school. His mama reminds him
that being scared is part of being
brave and that he can ask for
what he needs. He is welcomed
by his teacher and is befriended
by other students, and feels
better.
Migizi’s grandmother, Gookom,
is sick and he wants to get her
The Just Right Gift. He soon real-
izes that he can’t buy, pick, or
make anything that matches her
love. He finally remembers that
she always asks for one thing: a
loving hug.
In Kode’s Quest(ion), the cultural
teacher says that respect will
be the next teaching. Kode
isn’t sure what that means, so
she asks each of her family
members. Their answers are
all different causing Kode
more confusion. However,
when synthesizing it all for
her teacher, she suddenly
understands.
Misaabe’s Stories are wonder-
fully imaginative and exciting.
However, when he passes them
off as true events, his mom
intervenes. She reassures him
that he is enough just as he is.
They decide that he can still use
his storytelling gift, as long as
he acknowledges that they are
made up.
In Singing Sisters, Ma’iingan
loves to sing and entertain. She
is not pleased when her little
sister wants to join her in the
limelight. After some unkind
words make her sister unhappy,
she realizes that sharing is
better.
What is Truth, Betsy? starts
with Betsy, the cultural teacher,
asking “What is?” Miskwaadesi
lists off the many things that she
knows to be true and concludes
that we all teach each other. This
story references many cultural
elements.
SOAPSTONE SIGNS
Jeff Pinkney
Darlene Gait, illus.
“When a piece of stone has
chosen you, only the one who is
to be the carver will know what
it will become.”
A young Cree boy is mes-
merized by the craft of Lindy, a
Master soapstone and gypsum
carver. When asked how he
knows what to carve next,
Lindy says to ask the stone and
encourages him to stay open to
signs from the world around
him. “Whatever it’s going to be
it’s already there.” As the boy
helps his parents with tradi-
tional Cree customs like making
bannock with his mom or going
on a fall goose hunt with his
father, each season reveals a sign
that cleverly tells the boy what
animal to carve. This is a heart-
warming story of family rela-
tions and mentorship through
an appreciation for nature in
a traditional Cree community.
The author intersperses Cree
words like wapameg (Beluga +
whale) and wapsak (white bear)
into the text.
GRADES: 2-5, ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS, SOCIAL
STUDIES
Index/Bibliography: No/No
©2014 64pp. 7.625”x5.25”
b/w illustrations
ISBN 9781459804005 $6.95 PA
epub 9781459804029 $6.95
Orca Book Publishers
www.orcabook.com
SOMETIMES I FEEL
LIKE A FOX
Danielle Daniel
Danielle Daniel, illus.
Twelve young speakers explain
how they identify with a totem
animal from the Anishinaabe
tradition. Each child wearing
an animal mask and using the
repeating pattern, “sometimes
I feel like,” declares how he/she
shares the traits associated with
that animal, for example, pro-
tectiveness (bear) or kindness
(deer). The book is richly illus-
trated and the visual qualities set
a light and whimsical tone. This
book is suitable for introducing
imaginative play, character traits
and First Nations education.
Additional extensions include
using the First Nations concept
of clans to describe the many
social groups to which children
belong. Readers may also want
to research the use of masks in
cultures throughout the world.
At the end of the book, the
author explains the Anishinaabe
tradition of animal clans and
dedicates the book to Aboriginal
children who grew up never
knowing their totem animal.
GRADES: K-2, ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS
Index/Bibliography: No/No
©2015 40pp. 6.25”x7.37”
colour mixed-media illustrations
ISBN 9781554987504 $18.95 HC
Groundwood Books
www.groundwoodbooks.com
9781553795216 The First Day: A
Story of Courage /
9781553795193 The Just Right Gift:
A Story of Love /
9781553795223 Kode’s Quest(ion): A
Story of Respect /
9781553795247 Misaabe’s Stories: A
Story of Honesty /
9781553795209 Singing Sisters: A
Story of Humility /
9781553795254 What is Truth,
Betsy?: A Story of Truth $9.95 PA
HIghWater Press
www.highwaterpress.com