A joyful exploration of a child’s loving relationship with the land that supports and nurtures her as she growsYou Are the Land is a vivid ode to belonging within a family, within a community, and within the natural world.
From the day she’s born, a child feels the love and power that come with being part of something bigger. She’s a new spring leaf, alive and growing, as strong as the ancient cedars and as radiant as the glittering night sky. She is one with the amazing forces of nature that surround and nurture her, and that she nurtures in return.
Through inspiring words and sweeping illustrations, renowned artist Steph Littlebird’s stunning debut celebrates our connection to the land and shows how we perfectly mirror its beauty and resilience.
On sale: February 24, 2026
Age: 3-7 years
Grade: Preschool - 2
Page count: 32 Pages
ISBN: 9798217003495
Reading level: Lexile: 550L
Steph Littlebird is an Indigenous artist, writer, curator, and enrolled member of Oregon’s Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes. She is the illustrator of
My Powerful Hair (by Carole Lindstrom), an American Library Association Notable Book, and which was named one of NPR’s best books of the 2023 as well as one of
Kirkus Reviews’ Most Empowering Books of that year.
You Are the Land is her debut picture book as author and illustrator. She is currently writing a series about Indigenous Resilience for
Oregon ArtsWatch magazine. She lives in Vancouver, Washington.
* “A Native girl grows, nurtured by her family—and by the land. . . . As they sing to her, the family emphasizes that her connection brings with it a duty to serve as a place keeper, a guardian of the Earth. Littlebird (Oregon’s Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) weaves together multiple themes; this is simultaneously a story of intergenerational bonds, a tale of growing up and building self-confidence, and an appreciation of our planet and its resources. Relying on daring colors that resemble those seen in nature and in powwow regalia, Littlebird’s sweeping illustrations pair with invigorating text; soaring butterflies, birds, and bees crisscross the pages, uniting the girl with the land. A powerful look at Indigenous identity and a loving reminder that ‘everyone can be a place keeper.’” —
Kirkus Reviews,
starred review“Drawing from tribal traditions and nature-focused metaphor, an indigenous child narrates her relationships with different family members, who each remind her of an aspect of the natural world. . . . The child is rooted in her community through her developing relationship with the land around her. The child secures her role as a respectful and responsible ‘place keeper’ in scenes of tribal powwow and community environmental activism as her ‘culture teaches . . . I am the land, and the land is me.’ Littlebird offers a resilient and resounding ode to the family who raises us and the world that sustains us. The poetic prose flows through the book, carried on the wings of detailed full-page spreads depicting sweeping natural vistas, which often flow directly from characters’ mouths as they share their wisdom. Calligraphic hand-drawn lines visually anchor scenes while the digital coloring provides weathered vibrancy over a parchment-like background; intimate insets focus on the human heart of each relationship.” —
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“An Indigenous girl explores her strong bond to family and the land. . . . Throughout the narrator’s life, an intricate interconnectedness is poetically described. . . . Offering astute observations of her own, the child likens her grandmother to a flower because her ‘petals wrap around and keep me safe.’ Loved ones offer empowering messages to the child as she grows up and share Indigenous wisdom. The vibrant illustrations are luxuriantly alive with bright colors, patterns, and movement. Inviting self-reflection, the lyrical text also emphasizes stewardship of the land.” —
Booklist
