It is also so important to make sure the books you’re reading to kids with Native American characters are written by Native American authors. Too often, children’s books by non-Native and Indigenous authors depict stereotypes about Native and Indigenous cultures or suggest that Native and Indigenous culture is a thing of the past, not a living, breathing, growing present reality. If you’re looking for some resources or further reading, I highly recommend checking out Heartdrum, a HarperCollins imprint dedicated to Native American authors and curated by award-winning Native American author Cynthia Leitich Smith. Inhabit Media is an excellent Inuit-owned independent publisher that publishes children’s books by Indigenous Canadians. Dr. Debbie Reese runs the American Indians in Children’s Literature blog and it is an essential resource for librarians and educators. This year has seen a lot of excellent children’s books by Native American and Indigenous authors published, from a new gorgeous intergenerational picture book by Caldecott winner Michaela Goade to fun new early chapter books and historical middle grades that read like classics in the making. Even when authors set these books in the past, they make it clear how these historical realities tie into the present. For more Native American children’s books, check out this list of Native American children’s books about culture and tradition and this one dedicated to Native American picture books.
