Papertigers.org | April 2010 | Canadian Aboriginal Children's Literature

Award-winning writer and literacy advocate David Bouchard speaks of life before and after finding out about his Métis heritage, his many books and collaborations, new projects, and more...


	Patty Lawlor talks about the goals and accomplishments of the First Nation Communities Read Program since its establishment...



			In an interview (partially reprinted here) for the recently released book Picturing Canada: A History of Canadian Children's Illustrated Books and Publishing, Dogrib writer and storyteller Richard Van Camp speaks of growing up listening to stories, becoming a writer, working with George Littlechild, his love of the Northwest Territories, and other topics...

Acclaimed self-taught artist and writer C.J. Taylor draws on her Mohawk heritage to share native art and stories with children. You can see a sample of her children's book illustrations here...


	Métis artist Julie Flett's gallery showcases her children's book work, including images from her new book, Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer - L'Alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night - A Michif Alphabet. Her images and words reveal her commitment to producing work that honors her mixed heritage...

Sheldon Dawson, while not Métis himself, has strong ties with the culture and is well-known for creating culturally sensitive illustrations that accurately portray the Métis people, their history and lifestyle...

We Feel Good Out Here ("The Land is Our Storybook" Series)

written by Julie-Ann André and Mindy Willett, with photographs by Tessa Macintosh
(Fifth House)

We Feel Good Out Here documents the lives of Julie-Ann André, her husband and their two daughters in Canada’s Northwest Territories, up near the Arctic Ocean. At age 7, Julie-Ann was taken from her Gwichya Gwich’in family and transported against her will to a residential school. “Life at the residential school townized me so much that I was no longer comfortable in my own culture or with who I was. I wasn’t allowed to speak my language or see my family. When I grew older and went home, I felt completely out of place and lost.” ...


			April 2010 This bimonthly update focuses on authors, illustrators and others involved in the field of Canadian Aboriginal Children's Literature. The First Nations peoples, along with the Inuit and the Métis are the three officially recognized aboriginal peoples of Canada. A tribute to their accomplishments, the features highlighted here call attention to the richness of their literature and the distinctiveness of their voices and cultures. We hope you'll take some time to enjoy these offerings and to encourage others to do the same. Personal Views: My Top Favourite Aboriginal Children's Books by Richard Van Camp Imagining Home in Children's Picture Books by Canadian Aboriginal Authors by Paul De Pasquale Ten Exciting Books Introduce the North, Inuit and Nunavut to Elementary School Children by Nadine Fabbi Revisited: Holding up Prisms: Australian and Canadian Indigineous Publishing for Children by Clare Bradford Book Reviews: Make sure to read PaperTigers' new reviews related to the theme of " Canadian Aboriginal Children's Literature", as well as the newly added reviews from our other review sources: Resource Links (which, being a Canadian source, offers many reviews of titles by aboriginal authors), CCBC, Books for Keeps... Links & Lists: In this section you will find resources and reading lists related to Canadian Aboriginal Peoples' history and culture and to the children's literature they produce. And last but not least, we'd like to remind you that we will continue to focus on our Spirit of PaperTigers Project throughout the year. Some book sets are already on their way to recipients, so as soon as we start receiving feedback we'll post it here. Please check back often to stay up-to-date and to partake in our excitement for this project!

On the PaperTigers blog you will find our current and past themes unpacked and expanded, as well as news and views on multicultural and international books, world literacy, bedtime stories, children's literature events, and more...Come and join our ongoing conversation!


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PaperTigers is a nominating body for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world's most prestigious international award for children's literature.

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