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Our collection of picture books featuring Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) is available to the public.

*Inclusion of a title in the collection DOES NOT EQUAL a recommendation.*

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Rabbit Chase

2022

by Elizabeth LaPensée and KC Oster

“Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in Wonderland in this coming-of-age graphic novel that explores Indigenous and gender issues through a fresh yet familiar looking glass. Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée zones out, distracting themselves from the bullying and isolation they’ve experienced since expressing their non-binary identity. When Aimée accidentally wanders off, they are transported to an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures in a story inspired by Alice in Wonderland. To gain the way back home, Aimée is called on to help Trickster by hunting down dark water spirits with guidance from Paayehnsag. On their journey, Aimée faces off with the land-grabbing Queen and her robotic guards and fights the dark water spirits against increasingly stacked odds. Illustrated by KC Oster with a modern take on their own Ojibwe style and cultural representation, Rabbit Chase is a story of self-discovery, community, and finding one’s place in the world.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Cross Group

The Girl Who Swam with Sea Creatures

2023

by Tamara Campeau

“After her adventure with Kaaktuq the giant, Iviit still can’t stay out of trouble. It’s been a long winter of being stuck inside her family’s iglu, and she is desperate to get out. When Iviit and her brother Pauloosie are sent to check their family’s traps, Iviit ignores her anaanak’s warning about agjaqtut, who kidnap children who play on the sea ice. Iviit isn’t scared of anything! Iviit convinces Pauloosie to cut across the sea ice, and Pauloosie is suddenly pulled into the water. Iviit knows it is her fault. Can Iviit find a way to get her brother back before it’s too late?” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Nkij’inen Teluet / Our Grandmothers’ Words

2022

by Cheryl Bartlett, Diana Denny, Bruce Harris, Murdena Marshall, Susie Marshall and Flo Young

“Through traditional stories, Grandmothers’ understandings guide and nurture parents and children as they grow together. Dual-language: English and Mi’kmaq. Sali’j is a Mi’kmaw woman. She is strong, she is happy. Happy to be part of a loving family, happy to be Mi’kmaq. She begins to notice changes to her body, subtle at first, then more noticeable. She realizes that she is pregnant. She and her husband rejoice to think of welcoming a child into their lives. She goes to her Mother, to her Grandmother, to her Godmother. She tells them she is pregnant. They hug her in joy. They gather their knowledge and their wisdom from teachings passed down from woman to woman, over the generations; they share this knowledge, little by little, story by story. This is the Mi’kmaw way.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Informational

Between the Pipes

2024

“Thirteen-year-old Chase’s life and identity should be simple. He’s the goalie for his hockey team, the Eagles. He’s a friend to Kevin and Jade. He’s Kookum’s youngest grandchild. He’s a boy. He should like girls. But it’s not that simple. Chase doesn’t like girls the way that the other boys do. It’s scary being so different from his peers. Scarier still is the feeling that his teammates can tell who he is—and that they hate him for it. If he pretends hard enough, maybe he can hide the truth. Real strength and change can’t come from a place of shame. Chase’s dreams are troubled by visions of a bear spirit, and the more he tries to hide, the more everything falls apart. With the help of an Elder, and a Two-Spirit mentor, can Chase find the strength to be proud of who he is?” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

A Family Tree

2024

“Grandma’s garden was not just any garden. It was where a spruce tree, only as tall as baby Francis, reached her roots into the soil and stretched her branches toward the sky. Here, on the shore of Gichigaming, is where Francis and the sapling felt right at home. But when Grandma and Grandpa decide to move away, Francis wants to take the tree with them—can they? Brimming with tenderness, this story from Staci Lola Drouillard (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe descendant), with illustrations by Kate Gardiner (Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck Indians), traces the journey of one family and a little tree as they adapt to change by drawing on the strength of their roots.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Andy’s Tribal Canoe Journey

2022

“Andy has had a rough school year and is ready for summer vacation. But when Grandpa Rick tells him that he will be participating in a canoe journey instead of enjoying his usual summer activities, Andy feels he is being punished. Join Andy as he experiences a Tribal Canoe Journey for the first time and learns what it’s like to belong to a canoe family. Follow along as Andy navigates physical and emotional challenges and finds as answer to the important question: “Who am I?”” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Cross Group

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