Like most American kids, I learned very little about Native Americans in school and especially around Thanksgiving. I’ve been excited to read picture books for Native American Heritage Month and learn about their extraordinary heritage with my kids. Here are 20 books you can share with your family for November, which marks Native American Heritage Month. They are great options for Thanksgiving as well.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal. I included this in my Thanksgiving picture books list as well because it’s a beautiful story about Native American culture. It’s also about the history of fry bread (which taught me so much!) and gorgeously illustrated by one of my favorite artists, Juana Martinez-Neal.
Powwow Day by Tracy Sorell and Madelyn Goodnight. I absolutely adored this book about a little girl who is ill and sad that she can’t participate in her community’s powwow. She ultimately learns about the healing power of powwows and is welcomed by those who dance on her behalf. My kids and I learned so much about the dances and rituals from this story!
I Sang You Down From the Stars by Tasha Spillett-Sumner and Michaela Goade. Parents, you’ll want a tissue reading this book (or at least I did). It focuses on a mother preparing for her baby to be born by gathering a medicine bundle with a white feather, sage, cedar, a stone, and more. I love the illustrations and the emotions of this book and the beautiful traditions it explains.
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, Alexis Bunten and Gary Meeches Sr. This story helped me talk to my kids about the first Thanksgiving and how the Wampanoag people were instrumental in helping the Pilgrims make it through their first winter. I also really appreciated that this book includes a pronunciation guide and Native American words throughout. It turns out I was pronouncing Wampanoag completely wrong.
Still This Love Goes On by Buffy Sainte-Marie and Julie Flett. I am a big fan of Julie Flett’s work, and this book featuring song lyrics about the Cree people is gorgeous. It’s also about gratitude for your heritage and for the earth, so it’s perfect for Thanksgiving as well.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell and Frane Lessac. Members of the Cherokee nation use the word otsaliheliga to express gratitude. This book goes through the different seasons and talks about Cherokee traditions and ways the people are thankful. Like the other story above, it also includes a glossary to help you pronounce the words used throughout. I love this book and bought it for our home.
Berry Song by Michaela Goade. As I turned the pages of this stunning book with my family, I was reminded of my own (very different) summers picking huckleberries as a kid. The story centers around a girl and her grandmother picking berries and fishing and singing a song of gratitude to the earth. I need to buy this one for our collection.
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp and Erwin Printup, Jr. This is another book I’ve included on a Thanksgiving list because it is all about being grateful for the things we have. It includes a traditional Iroquois ceremonial address as well.
The Circle of Thanks by Joseph Bruchac and Murv Jacob. I am trying to find more books that introduce my children to poetry. This compilation of 14 poems about nature and Thanksgiving from Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac is beautiful and a wonderful reminder of the importance of gratitude.
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence and Gabrielle Grimard. While this is a heavier book for kids, I think it does a wonderful job of talking about schools that separated indigenous children from their families. The story follows a little girl who asks her grandfather to say something in Cree. When he responds that his language was stolen from him as a boy, she helps him reclaim his language and heritage. Check this one out for sure.
And They Walk On by Kevin Maillard and Rafael López. In this story, a boy whose grandmother recently passed away pictures all the things she is doing on her next journey. The end of the book explains the Indigenous concept of “walking on,” or going to a new place after death. This was such a sweet book.
Moon Song by Michaela Goade. Yes, I have several books illustrated by Michaela Goade in this list because she is incredible. My kids and I were all gaping over her stunning illustrations and the beautiful story of children experiencing the forest by moonlight. I’m planning to buy a copy for our shelf.
Daughter of the Light-Footed People: The Story of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramírez by Belen Medina and Natalia Rojas Castro. I have a Goodreads category called “Girlpower” with books about powerful girls and women. This book immediately made that list and is so inspiring. Learn more about runner Lorena Ramírez, who is known for running 60-mile marathons in the traditional attire (dresses and sandals) of her people. We all loved this one!
Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code by Joseph Bruchac and Liz Amini-Holmes. WWII history buffs will probably know about the Navajo codebreakers, but this story about Chester Nez details his life on a reservation and his path to creating an unbreakable code years later. I was so impressed with Nez and the other codebreakers’ courage, especially as others derided their heritage and language.
Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa by Leslie Stall Widener and Johnson Yazzie. Did you know that after 1845 potato famine in Ireland, the Choctaw people of America gathered money to donate? They did this even though they had little to give and had suffered during the Trail of Tears. The connections between the Irish and the Native people continue to this day. I adored this book.
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom and Steph Littlebird. This empowering story is about how hair is important to indigenous cultures. In fact, the author notes that hair is memories and a source of strength. The book also talks about the generational trauma many Native Americans experienced as a result of boarding schools. Get yourself a copy! The illustrations are also so beautiful.
Remember by Joy Harjo and Michaela Goade. Well, you should probably consider this list a tribute to Michaela Goade’s work, and I regret nothing. She breathtakingly illustrates this poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo about remembering your heritage. The poem is also a beautiful reminder of how we are all connected to each other.
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell and Natasha Donovan. WOW. I loved this biography of Mary Golda Ross, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s first female engineer, and how she designed classified airplanes and spacecraft. My son, who knows all things about aircraft and fighter jets, was impressed to find out she was part of Skunkworks.
When the Stars Came Home by Brittany Luby and Natasha Donovan. I love stories about families coming together, and this one about a young boy named Ojiig who misses his old home is so special. His parents help him realize that he is connected to his ancestors with a special quilt that reminds him of their love.
I Am Osage: How Clarence Tinker Became the First Native American Major General by Kim Rogers and Bobby von Martin. This inspiring biography, written by a Wichita author and illustrated by a Choctaw artist, tells the story of soldier Clarence Tinker, who had a goal of becoming an Army officer and overcame incredible hardships to do so.
I would love to know your favorite picture books for Native American Heritage Month! I’m especially interested in those written and illustrated by Native American authors.
