While working in Vancouver, I met some amazing First Nation’s artists. Some were closely connected to their communities through programming, while others crafted incredible traditional costumes and shared dance.
Then, I saw these same artists as parents.
Working together, an idea formed: Can we build a set of early education learning tools to support traditional First Nation’s heritage, history, and storytelling?
Learn through art.
Utilize the best resources
Accuracy, inclusivity, and cultural relevance were paramount in development of this book series. Since some of my collaborators were artists, parents, and community leaders, I build a QC process knitting them to the development.
All Illustrations provided by a community of Pacific Northwest Native and First Nations artists based in the Pacific Northwest.
Book series design system
The books needed to feel like a series. The truth was that they house a very broad spectrum of cultural affiliations, art styles, origins, legends, and storytelling variants. The system needed to make them all feel at home.
I worked closely with 5 key cultural consultants to understand similarities, cross-over and differences between cultural stories. With the insight of these leaders, a shared history emerged. The system became grid-based, flexible, based in interaction rules instead of a formulaic layout.
Safe and sound
Designing for toddlers included 2 areas of key consideration:
CONTENT
-Age appropriate: With my background in children’s education and program development, I wrote the books with gentle learning in mind.
-Life long reading: The educational content is designed to grow with children throughout the series, with easter eggs and learning moments peppered throughout the series.PRODUCTION
-Rounded book corners: good for chewing
-Thick, easy-to-handle paperboard: no paper cuts, sourced from sustainable forests
-Non-toxic: non-toxic, soy-based inks and coating
Press & reviews
Kimberly — ★★★★☆
My 3 yr old daughter chose this book and at first glance I didn't think I was going to like this book, but I did, in fact I loved it. The illustrations are Northwest coast native art and they are great, my kids loved them. Great book for teaching the kids to learn to count.
Jan 20, 2016
Kristina — ★★★★☆
Sept 18, 2019
Jon — ★★★★☆
This has been a recent big hit before bedtime… this is a beautifully illustrated book, where he has as much fun making animal noises... Native art from a collection of Pacific Northwest native artists offers him a very different artistic style, with a collection of animals that aren't the usual generic farm animals. Instead you have animals significant not just as a food source, but that carry more resonant cultural, spiritual, and environmental importance.
And it of course helps that you can read it with the room lights on or off. Solid bedtime option indeed.
May 08, 2020
Sue — ★★★★☆ Beautiful native art introduces basic concepts (numbers, colours, etc.) and there are a few pages of seek and find pictures, too.
Jan 25, 2018
Chantale — ★★★★☆
Rated: read-to-me-50-best-books-for-babies
Gorgeous illustrations, fun interactions.
Mar 04, 2014
Learn Book series
Created and designed for Pacific Northwest Coast and First Nations’ toddlers, this board book series was developed as a set of learning tools to support traditional heritage, history, and storytelling.
Since inception, the board book series has connected cultures, sharing First Nation’s and Pacific Northwest Coast art and stories with children around the world.
The book series is sold throughout Canada and the United States and has been adopted by school boards from North America to Africa.
Client: Native Northwest for Garfinkel Publications
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Season: 2010
Book launch: Seattle Art Museum / Vancouver’s Kidsbooks, in partnership with Native Northwest
Role: Creative concept, design, storytelling, and international production
Format: Concept & design visualizations, exterior & interior signage, design & production systems tools
Role: ideation and creative direction, original content, learning tools, design, production
Format: board book series, non-toxic paper board sourced from sustainable forests and non-toxic, soy-based inks
Disciplines: storytelling, consumer product design