A hearty welcome to people who attended Choosing and Using Picture Books about Native Americans: What's New, What's Good, and What's Best Practice at Opening Minds, the 1011 Chicago Metro AEYC conference in January, 2011. (For those who don't know, the conference is for educators in early childhood).
Jean Mendoza and I are glad that you attended our session, and are happy to provide you with this list of books we discussed. Click on the titles for more information about each one. Some may be available from Oyate. Where possible, I provide a link to the webpage for the publisher. As is always the case with a conference presentation, time is limited, and presenters are never able to say something about every book they want to... So, this is an incomplete list.
Board and Concept Books
- Welcome Song for Baby, by Richard Van Camp, available from Orca Books.
- I See Me, by Margaret Manuel, published by Theytus Books.
- Boozhoo, Come Play With Us, by Deanna Himango
- Learn the Alphabet with Northwest Coast Native Art, and Learn to Count with Northwest Coast Native Art; and Explore the Animals available from Northwest Coast Books.
- Beverly Blacksheep's board books available from Salina Bookshelf.
- Owl's See Clearly at Night, by Julie Flett, available from Simply Read Books.
Traditional Stories
- Pia Toya: A Goshute Indian Legend, by Children of Ibapah Elementary School (order used copy from your preferred used bookseller).
- Muskrat Will Be Swimming, by Cheryl Savageau, available from Tilbury House.
- The Story of the Milk Way: A Cherokee Tale, by Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross (order a used copy from your preferred used bookseller).
Contemporary Stories
- Thanks to the Animals, by Allen Sockabasin, available from Tilbury House.
- Two Pairs of Shoes, by Esther Sanderson, available from Oyate.
- The Day Matthew Touched the Sky, by Alyssa Kelly, available from the Salish Language Revitalization Institute.
- Good Luck Cat, by Joy Harjo, available from Oyate.
- Jingle Dancer, by Cynthia Leitich Smith, available from Oyate.
- Less than Half, More than Whole, by Michael Lacapa, available from Oyate.
- Indian Shoes, by Cynthia Leitich Smith, available from Oyate.
- When the Shadbush Blooms, by Carla Messinger, available from Oyate.
Historical Settings
- Shi-Shi-Etko and Shin-Shin's Canoe by Nicola Campbell, available from Groundwood Books.
- Crossing Bok Chitto and Saltypie by Tim Tingle. Get Saltypie from Cinco Puntos Press.
- Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, available from Birchbark Books.
Nonfiction
- Huckleberry Picking by Rosie Matt, Pat Pierre, Melanie Sandoval and Tachini Pete, available from the Salish Language Revitalization Institute.
- Children of Clay by Rina Swentzell (order from your preferred used bookseller).
- American Indians in Children's Literature
- "How to Tell the Difference: A Guide"
- Teaching Young Children about Native Americans
- Examining Multicultural Picture Books for the Early Childhood Classroom: Possibilities and Pitfalls
Chicago Area Resources
