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Alaska's Early Childhood Investment

Best Beginnings Alaska

Books About Subsistence

Fry Bread: a Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard (Toddler, Preschool)

Fry bread can be more than just food. Fry bread is a shared tradition that many different and diverse indigenous peoples have in common and have adapted over time. Don’t forget to look over the author’s notes in the back to help add more depth and meaning to the story and illustrations. ▸ Get it at the Library

On the Trapline by David A. Robertson (Preschool)

A young boy and his grandfather take a trip to visit the trapline where grandfather lived when he was growing up, as his family hunted and lived off the land. As they travel, grandfather talks about his childhood on the trapline with his family, his time at the residential school, and when he moved into a community far away from the trapline. The boy imagines what life was like when his grandfather was growing up and what is still the same today. This story is about a family from the Norway House Cree Nation. ▸ Get it at the Library

 

Let’s Go! A Harvest Story by Hannah Lindoff (Preschool)

Full of beautiful illustrations by Caldecott-winning Tlingit artist Michaela Goade, this story follows a family throughout the seasons as they hunt and gather traditional foods of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples from Southeast Alaska. ▸ Get it at the Library

Around the Table that Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill (Toddler, Preschool)

In this cumulative tale (like The House that Jack Built), a multiracial family sets the table for their harvest meal. With flowers picked by the cousins, the napkins sewn by mom, and the food made by different members of the family, this story highlights how each part of the meal honors traditions and people in the family.▸ Get it at the Library
Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki (Preschool, School Age)

A group of inspired neighbors don’t always have a lot of resources, but they are determined to use what they have so they can give to those who need it. Every week they pull together a delicious meal for their community from their small, happy, chaotic kitchen. This story reminds us that we are all in this together. We must look out for our neighbors and help those that we can.▸ Get it at the Library

The Blue Table by Christopher Raschka (Toddler, Preschool)

With spare text but detailed illustrations, follow along on a family’s Thanksgiving meal from the perspective of their dining room table. The food is harvested from the garden or purchased from a store and prepared. The plates and cups and napkins are set out – enough for a family and several friends. They enjoy the meal and give thanks before cleaning up to use the table again another day. ▸ Get it at the Library

 

These resources were recommended by Samantha Blanquart, an Early Literacy Outreach Librarian with the Anchorage Public Library. Visit their website for more info about early literacy or to check out one of their reading kits for young children.

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