Children's Literature - Bibliotherapy - Indianapolis

The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy. International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happinessto support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.

"A wonderful and sweet book . . . Lovely stuff." --The New York Times Book Review Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard,Fry Breadis an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal. Fry bread is food. It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate. Fry bread is time. It brings families together for meals and new memories. Fry bread is nation. It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond. Fry bread is us. It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference. A2020 Charlotte Huck Recommended Book APublishers WeeklyBest Picture Book of 2019 AKirkus ReviewsBest Picture Book of 2019 ASchool Library JournalBest Picture Book of 2019 AShelf AwarenessBest Children's Book of 2019 A Goodreads Choice Award 2019 Semifinalist A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2019 A National Public Radio (NPR) Best Book of 2019

In the late 1880's, a Cheyenne boy named Young Bull is taken to a boarding school to learn the white man's way.

How Coyote got yellow eyes
How Bat learned to fly
How Lizard got flat
How Hawk stopped the flood with his tail feather
How Horse got fast
How Possum lost his tail
How Chipmunk got tiny feet.

The flagship book in theKeepers of the Earthseries, this environmental classic teaches children respect and stewardship for the Earth and all living things. Joseph Bruchac's lyrical retellings set the stage for Michael Caduto's abundance of related activities. Beginning with Native American stories, this invaluable and time-honored resource provides readers with an abundance of hands-on activities that will inspire children to understand and appreciate Native American cultures and the Earth. Connects to social studies, science, environmental studies and other content areas.Uses a holistic approach suitable for all ages.Provides field-tested activities.Includes charts, illustrations and graphs to enhance the projects and concepts. When the stories and activities in this book and its companion teacher's guide are followed carefully as children progress from kindergarten through the primary grades, roughly ages five through twelve years, they provide a complete program of study in the important concepts and topics of ecology and natural history. As the stories unfold and you help the children to bring the activities to life, a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to teaching about the Earth and Native American cultures begins. These stories and activities weave together lessons both directly and through metaphors and have been enjoyed by families as well as in camp settings, nature centers, environmental education programs, public and private schools, library story hours, and in both rural and urban settings.

Retelling/Discussion/ Questions/Activities for "The Coming of Gluscabi".

Four Abenaki men set out on a difficult journey to ask the great hero Gluskabe to grant each his fondest wish.

When cornmeal is stolen from an elderly couple, the others in a Cherokee village find a way to drive off the thief, creating the Milky Way in the process.

Stories of the author's Choctaw Indian family, centering particularly on his blind grandmother.

A small Eskimo boy discovers that Mother's lap is a very special place with room for everyone.

Celebrate earth's bounty and the inherent value of all living things with a lavish anthology of traditional Native American animal and nature lore, selected and retold especially for young children.  Representing 20 tribes and every ethnological region, this definitive treasury includes "Raven, the Rainmaker," the Tlingit tale of a generous act that brought fresh water to the earth; "The Corn Song," from the Dine, which celebrates the blue grain that is the tribe's staff of life; and "Coyote and the Blackbirds," a hilarious Pueblo legend about a conceited coyote who gets his comeuppance.  This rich reference tool also contains an introduction, appendix, map, and informative source notes.  Nancy Van Laan's spirited retellings and Lisa Desimini's stunning multimedia artwork make this an ideal read-aloud and a must-have addition to folklore collections.  A Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Selection.  

Why does Rabbit have a short tail? Impatience for snow is the reason.

Includes the folktale/origin tale "How Bat Learned to Fly" retold from a traditional Koasati Creek folktale

Celebrate earth's bounty and the inherent value of all living things with a lavish anthology of traditional Native American animal and nature lore, selected and retold especially for young children.  Representing 20 tribes and every ethnological region, this definitive treasury includes "Raven, the Rainmaker," the Tlingit tale of a generous act that brought fresh water to the earth; "The Corn Song," from the Dine, which celebrates the blue grain that is the tribe's staff of life; and "Coyote and the Blackbirds," a hilarious Pueblo legend about a conceited coyote who gets his comeuppance.  This rich reference tool also contains an introduction, appendix, map, and informative source notes.  Nancy Van Laan's spirited retellings and Lisa Desimini's stunning multimedia artwork make this an ideal read-aloud and a must-have addition to folklore collections.  A Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Selection.  

Story/Discussion/Questions/Activities/Extending the Experience for "How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun".

A white girl lives for a short time on an Indian reservation and forms a close bond with a Navajo girl.

How Coyote got yellow eyes
How Lizard got flat
How Horse got fast
How Chipmunk got tiny feet

Story/Discussion/Questions/Activities/Extending the Experience for "Four Worlds: The Dine Story of Creation."

"Notably centering Indigenous families and characters of color in personal and communal activities--and encouraging readers to evaluate their actions toward others."--School Library Journal When We Are Kindcelebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. Celebrated author Monique Gray Smith has written many books on the topics of resilience and reconciliation and communicates an important message through carefully chosen words for readers of all ages. Beautifully illustrated by artist Nicole Neidhardt, this book encourages children to be kind to others and to themselves. Orca Book Publishers is proud to offer this picture book as a dual-language (English and Diné) edition.

Story/Discussion/Questions/Activities/Extending the Experience for "Loo-Wit, The Fire-Keeper".

Mama Crow and her hungry babies learn an important lesson in greed and gullibility from Mischievous Raven.

Story/Discussion/Questions/Activities/Extending the Experiment for "The Earth on Turtle's Back".

Spider is afraid to get up on stage in front of everybody in the school spelling bee, but after listening to his father's advice, decides that he too will try to be as brave as his Shoshoni ancestors.

Virginia and her brother are never allowed to pick first from the donation boxes at church because their father is the priest, and she is heartbroken when another girl gets the beautiful coat that she covets. Based on the author's memories of life on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
Early 1940's.

The story, "Tunka-shila, Grandfather Rock."

Includes the folk/origin tale "How Hawk Stopped the Flood with His Tail Feather " retold from a traditional Tsimshian folktale.

Mohawk parents have traditionally taught their children to start each day by giving thanks to Mother Earth. Known as the Thanksgiving Address, this Native American good morning message is based on the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift.

The Great Spirit gives the sacred dog to an Indian boy seeking relief for his hungry people.

Four Abenaki men set out on a difficult journey to ask the great hero Gluskabe to grant each his fondest wish.

When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. When We Were Aloneis a story about a difficult time in history and, ultimately, one of empowerment and strength.