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    We Are Who We Are

    An Ode to Indigenous Heroes Past and Present

    Author Wab Kinew
    Illustrated by Janine Gibbons
    Ebook
    Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books
    On sale Feb 17, 2026 | 40 Pages | 9781774883600
    Grades K-4
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    A companion book to the bestselling Go Show the World, this is another joyous picture book celebration of 13 Indigenous heroes from the past and present.

    We are who we are. There's strength in this too. We kept this place free, so you can be you.

    Author Wab Kinew expresses this essential message and continues his work from Go Show the World by celebrating the triumphs of 13 more Indigenous heroes throughout history — and how their struggles and successes have made not just their communities but the world a better place for today's youth.

    From engineer Mary Golda Ross to interpreter George Bonga, from actor Chief Dan George to author Tasha Spillett, Kinew explores how each of these heroes embraced their most authentic selves (alongside gorgeous illustrations by Janine Gibbons) . . . and encourages young readers to do the same.
    © Graham Constant
    WAB KINEW is the bestselling, award-winning author of We Are Who We Are: An Ode to Indigenous Heroes Past and Present, The Everlasting Road, Walking in Two Worlds, Go Show the World and The Reason You Walk. A member of the Midewin and an Honorary Witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, he is a former journalist, hip-hop artist and television host who was named by Postmedia News as one of "9 Aboriginal movers and shakers you should know." Kinew lives in Winnipeg with his family. View titles by Wab Kinew
    JANINE GIBBONS is a multi-disciplinary artist and award-winning illustrator. She graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle and Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Janine has illustrated four books in the Sealaska Heritage's Baby Raven Reads series, including Raven Makes the Aleutians, an AIYLA Honor Book, and most recently Nang Jáadaa Sg̱áana 'Láanaa aa Isdáayaan (The Woman Carried Away by Killer Whales), which is entirely in the Haida language Xaad Kíl. She divides her time between Alaska and Hawai'i. View titles by Janine Gibbons
    "A collective biography that sparks further curiosity about the Native heroes it celebrates. . . . While the individual stories presented here are scant, their presentation brims with admiration and enthusiasm, and it’s the weight of their totality that carries this picture book. A lively and beautifully illustrated salute to Indigenous achievement." —Kirkus Reviews

    "An interesting read-aloud, scaffolded with potential discussions to raise awareness about Indigenous experiences." —Booklist

    About

    A companion book to the bestselling Go Show the World, this is another joyous picture book celebration of 13 Indigenous heroes from the past and present.

    We are who we are. There's strength in this too. We kept this place free, so you can be you.

    Author Wab Kinew expresses this essential message and continues his work from Go Show the World by celebrating the triumphs of 13 more Indigenous heroes throughout history — and how their struggles and successes have made not just their communities but the world a better place for today's youth.

    From engineer Mary Golda Ross to interpreter George Bonga, from actor Chief Dan George to author Tasha Spillett, Kinew explores how each of these heroes embraced their most authentic selves (alongside gorgeous illustrations by Janine Gibbons) . . . and encourages young readers to do the same.

    Author

    © Graham Constant
    WAB KINEW is the bestselling, award-winning author of We Are Who We Are: An Ode to Indigenous Heroes Past and Present, The Everlasting Road, Walking in Two Worlds, Go Show the World and The Reason You Walk. A member of the Midewin and an Honorary Witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, he is a former journalist, hip-hop artist and television host who was named by Postmedia News as one of "9 Aboriginal movers and shakers you should know." Kinew lives in Winnipeg with his family. View titles by Wab Kinew
    JANINE GIBBONS is a multi-disciplinary artist and award-winning illustrator. She graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle and Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Janine has illustrated four books in the Sealaska Heritage's Baby Raven Reads series, including Raven Makes the Aleutians, an AIYLA Honor Book, and most recently Nang Jáadaa Sg̱áana 'Láanaa aa Isdáayaan (The Woman Carried Away by Killer Whales), which is entirely in the Haida language Xaad Kíl. She divides her time between Alaska and Hawai'i. View titles by Janine Gibbons

    Praise

    "A collective biography that sparks further curiosity about the Native heroes it celebrates. . . . While the individual stories presented here are scant, their presentation brims with admiration and enthusiasm, and it’s the weight of their totality that carries this picture book. A lively and beautifully illustrated salute to Indigenous achievement." —Kirkus Reviews

    "An interesting read-aloud, scaffolded with potential discussions to raise awareness about Indigenous experiences." —Booklist

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