This past Sunday marked the start of Native American Heritage Month, a time to learn and show appreciation for the culture, art, and stories of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. In that spirit, we wanted to highlight some amazing kids’ books by Native creators.

The Echo People, written by SD Youngwolf and illustrated by Shonto Begay, is the tale of cousins Aiyanna and Little Wolf, who are preparing to journey with their Grandfather to meet the Echo People, a mysterious group who live in the nearby river gorge. While the Echo People cannot be seen, they can call back to those who shout their greetings and, as Aiyanna and Little Wolf soon find, often act as a reflection of the attitudes and emotions they are greeted with.

Winner of Lee & Low’s annual New Voices Award, this picture book provides beautiful representation of Indigenous storytelling traditions while teaching universal lessons about acceptance, openness, and kindness. It’s a fantastic read with gorgeous illustrations, and we can’t recommend it enough.

Thanks so much to Lee & Low for sending us a copy of this book!