Osiyo (hello in Cherokee)!
During the month of November – Native American Heritage Month and Picture Book Month – my lessons focused on the beautiful picture books Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard (illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal), We are Gratitude: Otsaligeliga by Traci Sorell (illustrated by Frané Lessac), and We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (illustrated by Michaela Goade). It is incredibly important to share books that serve as windows, mirrors, and sliding doors, and I strive to help my students find text-to-life connections with all books.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story is a lovely book about the importance of fry bread by explaining it in terms of the senses – how it feels, tastes, looks, smells, and sounds. The ample backmatter further explains how “the story of fry bread is the story of the American Indians: embracing community and culture in the face of opposition.” My Fry Bread lesson includes an author interview, recipe video, read aloud, and discussion questions.
We are Gratitude: Otsaliheliga takes the reader through a year of seasons, beginning and ending with the season of uligohvsdi (fall/autumn) the Cherokee New Year. This story reminds us to be grateful every day, in every month, in good times, and in sad times. My We Are Gratitude lesson includes not only an interview with Traci, but a read aloud video, and information about pileated woodpeckers, stomp dancing, and cane flutes.
We Are Water Protectors is a powerful book about the need to safeguard Earth’s water supply. The artwork by Michaela Goade is stunning! I loved her art so much I found her Etsy store and ordered her beautiful Moonrise print. My We Are Water Protectors lesson includes a read aloud by the author and lots of additional information that helps students understand the importance of water to Indigenous people (and all of us!) and about the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Additional resources that may be helpful to readers of my blog:
Carole Lindstrom
Book Reading & Interview: https://youtu.be/2YHaRmj9wLU
Children’s Book Podcast: https://www.matthewcwinner.com/post/carole-lindstrom-and-michaela-goade
Website:http://www.carolelindstrom.com/
Emily Arrow
Read Aloud & Song https://youtu.be/OmsGDCimLK8
Frané Lessac
Website: https://franelessac.com/
Juana Martinez-Neal
Interview: https://youtu.be/ghu66fEFVHI
Interview: https://youtu.be/-ZVTdxFgRRE
Website: https://juanamartinezneal.com/
Kevin Noble Maillard
Children’s Book Podcast: https://lgbpodcast.libsyn.com/kevin-noble-maillard-and-juana-martinez-neal
Interview: https://youtu.be/ocPWdWPiCgs
Virtual Storytimes: https://youtu.be/ZGoPq2CeJdw and https://youtu.be/od-7XLABK2o
Michaela Goade
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MichaelaGoade
Website: https://www.michaelagoade.com/
TeachingBooks
Website: https://www.teachingbooks.net/
Traci Sorell
Interview: https://youtu.be/qsIxsPDOVoA
Website: https://www.tracisorell.com/
Wado (thank you) for reading my blog, and donadagohvi (until we meet again).
The Creative Librarian 