Books to Pore Over

“Sky Wolf’s Call: The Gift of Indigenous Knowledge” by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
Learn about Indigenous knowledge passed down through generations that teaches how “everything is connected” through water, fire & smoke, food, medicine, the moon & stars, and each of us. Indigenous peoples continue to use the knowledge of these connections to live and teach future generations to live in harmony with all things. Each section includes detailed descriptions, photographs, illustrations, traditional stories, mini bios of Indigeous people (artist, activist, healer, scientist, etc.), and gives real world examples that emphasize how Indegneous knowledge can be applied today to protect our world and our place in it. 

“The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World’s Largest Land Biome” by L.E. Carmichael and Josée Bisaillon
Step into the boreal forest around the world, throughout the seasons as you read this book. Each section is broken up into digestible double-page spreads with captivating illustrations. There is a nice balance between the illustration space and the mixture of detailed paragraphs and boxes along the side that highlight fun facts, animals that live there, and features of the forest. The top left corner of each verso page lets you know which country you are passing through. You’ll even learn at the end of the book all about the water cycle, carbon cycle, and new vocabulary in the glossary.

“Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country” written by Atinuke, illustrated by Mouni Feddag
This book is an expertly designed compendium of information about the many, many countries that make up the continent of Africa. The book is split up into sections based on geographical regions that make up Africa - Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa - and from there talks briefly about each country in that region through short paragraphs and a few facts in bulleted lists. The text, illustrations, and maps emphasize the diversity of the different regions - cities, landscapes, peoples, languages, animals, ways of life, and more. You are guaranteed to learn something new each time you pick up this book. 

“Illustrated Tales of Dwarfs, Gnomes and Fairy Folk” retold by Ineke Verschuren, illustrated by Daniela Drescher
Get ready to start a fantastical journey as you learn about dwarfs, gnomes, and fairy folk as told in this European folk tale anthology. Complete with illustrations, each story is four to five pages long. The illustrations help children of all ages to imagine the story as you’re reading. Perfect for reading-aloud together or to read one story at a time before bedtime. Fantasy and folklore enthusiasts will probably want to read it cover to cover, but its table of contents allows for the reader to decide what order they read the stories and how many.