Indigenous Picture Books
Picture books are a wonderful way for young children to learn about themselves and learn about others. More and more picture books written for children by Indigenous authors are becoming available. How do you choose great books to share? Find suggestions in these five lists:
- 14 inspiring children’s books from Indigenous writers
- #IndigenousReads by Indigenous Writers: A Children’s Reading List
- First Nation Communities Read
- From Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books
- Indigenous Books for the Early Years
Here’s Monique Gray Smith reading her picture book, You Hold Me Up, which appears on many lists.
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has created a National Indigenous History Month Reading List that extends beyond picture books.
For books to use with older children in school, the First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Schools Association have created an online catalogue of Authentic First Peoples Resources (K-9).
A summary of guidelines for choosing books for children with Indigenous themes or about Indigenous peoples can be found in How to Tell the Difference: A Guide to Evaluating Children’s Books for Anti-Indian Bias and Oyate’s Additional Criteria.
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