Children’s Books

Children’s Books about Climate Change and Water

• Analyzing Climate Change: Asking Questions, Evaluating Evidence, and Designing Solutions by Philip Steele 

• Climate Change for Babies: Teach Global Warming and Empower Kids to Help Keep Our Planet Healthy by Chris Ferrie and Katherina Petrou 

• How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch 

• It’s Getting Hot in Here: The Past, Present, and Future of Climate Change by Bridget Heos 

• It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired, & Get Going by Chelsea Clinton 

• The Lonely Polar Bear by Khoa Le 

• The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge by Joanna Cole

• The Mess That We Made Hardcover by Michelle Lord and illustrated by Julia Blattman 

• Old Enough to Save the Planet (Changemakers) by Loll Kirby and illustrated by Adelina Lirius 

• The Story of Climate Change: A first book about how we can help save our planet by Catherine Barr and Steve Williams and illustrated by Amy Husband and Mike Love 

• The Tantrum that Saved the World by Megan Herbert and Michael E. Mann 

• We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade 

• What Is Climate Change? by Gail Herman and illustrated by John Hinderliter 

• Winston of Churchill: One Bear’s Battle Against Global Warming by Jean Davies Okimoto and illustrated by Jeremiah Trammel 

A SELECTION OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS FROM THE WABANAKI STUDIES CURRICULUM

• Bowwow Powwow by Brenda Child (Ojibwe) 

• The Canoe Maker: David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy Birch Bark Artisan by Jean Flahive and Donald Soctomah (Passamaquoddy) 

• The First Blade of Sweetgrass by Suzanne Greenlaw (Maliseet) and Gabriel Frey (Passamaquoddy) 

• The Gathering by Theresa Meuse (Mi’kmaq) 

• I am Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas (Mi’kmaq) and illustrated by Pauline Young 

• I Lost My Talk by Rita Joe (Mi’kmaq) and illustrated by Pauline Young 

• Juji’jk: Mi’kmaw Insects by Cultural and Heritage Education Committee 

• Long Powwow Nights by Pamela Aleekuk (Metis) and David Bouchard (Metis) and illustrated by Leonard Paul (Mi’kmaq)  

• Tihtiyas and Jean (text in French, Passamaquoddy, and English) by Nathalie Gagnon and Donald 

• Me: Tomah Joseph’s Gift to Franklin Roosevelt by Jean Flahive and Donald Soctomah (Passamaquoddy) 

• Remember Muskrat Will Be Swimming by Cheryl Savageau (Abenaki) 

• Kunu’s Basket: A Story from Indian Island by Lee DeCora Francis (Penobscot) 

• The Sharing Circle by Theresa Meuse (Mi’kmaq) 

• L’Nu’k: The People, Mi’kmaw History, Culture, and Heritage by Theresa Meuse (Mi’kmaq) 

• Thanks to the Animals by Allen Sockabasin (Passamaquoddy) 

A selection of books from Indigo Arts Alliance Beautiful Blackbird Festivals 2020–2022 

The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival celebrates Black and Black Immigrant children’s books and their creators with an annual 4,000+ book giveaway to Maine families, the production of acclaimed media and activities and live events. 

The festival honors the legacy of legendary Black children’s book creator and artist Ashley Bryan and is named after his classic picture book Beautiful Blackbird. 

The festival creators believe that Black children and immigrant children should have the opportunity to build their home libraries and fill them with books that represent their lives and experiences. This is why they are proud to give away 4,500 copies of the featured books to children served by Portland Public Housing, Portland Parks and Recreation, Lewiston Public Schools, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers CCLC program. 

• The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones

• Renée Watson by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith 

• Ashley Brian’s ABC of African American Poetry featuring poems by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Ashley Bryan 

• Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings by Francie Latour and illustrated by Ken Daley 

• Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan 

• Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and illustrated by Daniel Minter 

• Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter 

• Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 

• Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome 

• So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by Daniel Minter 

• The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pickney and illustrated by Shane W. Evans 

• When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson Omar Mohamed 

• Wherever I Go by Mary Wagley Copp and illustrated by Munir D. Mohammed 

• Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Luisa Uribe