Complete List of Navajo Books for Families
I have mentioned many times that now is a perfect time to start reading Navajo to your kids.
Why?
Because there are more resources than there were just 5/10 years ago. Yes, it’s not much when compared to other languages like Cantonese and Spanish but we should take advantage to start with what we do have.
I am going to share the bilingual books I’ve come across and used in reading to my kids. Plus I’ll share as many books as I could find that are available for you and your child, so you don’t have to do much searching yourself.
If you are unsure about building a library of Navajo books, read my post on why bilingual books or books, in general, make the best resources for learning Dine Bizaad.
If you’re ready to use books for Dine Bizaad, check out How to Read to Bilingual Books, for my strategies and tips!
Now, let’s check out the books that are available for Navajo reading and learning!
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Navajo Books for Babies, Toddlers, and Beginners
If you’re starting out, baby board books and books with simple words and phrases are a great place to start. I have most of these books and they are perfect for my kids, especially my toddler.
My Facebook – Learn the expressions on babies faces
Cradle Me – Learn expressions and emotions and see different cradleboards
Animal Colors – Learn colors and animals
Loving Me – A book about “who loves me” in my family
Baby Board Books – this is a special series of books that can also come with audio. They offer more than just simple words and phrases but they have simple topics and repetition.
Another great place for bilingual books is Heritage Language Resource Center. These are a few of the books that are part of a collection for beginners.
To see the whole collection, check it out here.
Navajo Books for All Learners
So whether you’re starting out or are familiar with some Navajo already. These books are fairly easy to read or learn to read with their simple phrasing and repetition.
Navajo Life: A Bilingual Picture Book – A book with simple Navajo phrases that’s paired with a glossary at the end!
Naadaa’ Doo Naadaa Ch’iyaan – Learn about all kinds of corn and food made with corn in both Navajo and English
Navajo Corn Recipes – Traditional Navajo recipes with dishes named in Navajo.
The Hero Twins – The story of two brothers who save their people from monsters
Little Man’s Family – A Navajo boy describes his family’s traditional way of life
My First Navajo Book of Colors, Shapes, and Numbers – Give your little ones an introduction to beginner concepts and Navajo words!
My First Navajo Alphabet Book – Learn the Navajo alphabet and words in this colorful book for kids of all ages!
Coyote Tales – 6 original coyote tales told both in English and Navajo
Salina Bookshelf has many bilingual books. Here are a few books from their bookstore:
Check out more bilingual books from Salina Bookshelf here.
Here is a selection of what Heritage Language Resource Center has to offer! For more bilingual books, check them out here.
Coloring & Activity Books
These coloring books are cultural-focused with most having the Navajo language integrated. I do not personally own any of these yet but they are on my wishlist.
Plants & Animals of Diné Bikéyah Coloring Book (Abalone Mountain Press)
Diné Clan Coloring Book (Heritage Language Resource Center)
Navajo Coloring Book: Numbers (Amazon)
Navajo Coloring Book: A-Z (Amazon)
Navajo Coloring and Activity Book (Amazon)
Navajo Coloring Book: Animals (Amazon)
Navajo Coloring Book: Christmas (Amazon)
Navajo Rugs and Blankets (Amazon)
Little Man’s Family Coloring Book (Amazon)
Navajo Indian Coloring Book (Amazon)
The Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons Activities for Learning and Exploring
Navajo Cultural Books for Fun
Some books aren’t bilingual but I think it’s a great idea to add cultural books to your library too. Here are some I’ve found on Amazon, bookstores, or even the library.
The Goat in the Rug – A story about the goat and a weaver who decides to weave her goat into a Navajo rug
Navajo Coyote Tales – Original coyote stories
The Water Lady – True story of a woman who brings water to families in need on the reservation every day
Fry Bread – A story about frybread and family
Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave
Birchbark Books
Kinaaldá: A Navajo Girl Grows Up
Birchbark Books
For a lot more cultural books, check out Salina Bookshelf and Birchbark Books!
Navajo Books for Advanced and Continued Learners
Navajo-English Dictionary – I mainly use this to check my spelling of words and when I’m reading Navajo. If you want to know what a Navajo word means, you can look it up easily in this dictionary.
Navajo-English Bilingual Dictionary – This is one of my best resources because it’s geared for students, teachers, and families. There are pictures with common Navajo words and common verbs with all their conjugations. I use it to look up words or learn new verbs.
Conversational Navajo Workbook & Dictionary – I have the workbook and it has been helpful especially with an audio CD where you can practice pronunciation of sounds and words.
The Navajo Language – This is on my wishlist. It has a grammar explanation and a two-part dictionary with Navajo and English.
Salina Bookshelf offers a few Dine Bizaad resources:
There are several workbooks such as this (above) at Salina Bookshelf from 1st – 3rd grade. Check out all the student workbooks here.
This is a textbook that most of the colleges use for Navajo language classes. It also comes with a workbook.
Salina Bookshelf is a great place to find all Navajo language and cultural books and resources. I’ve also really enjoyed the Heritage Learning Resource Center’s content as well. Those two are great places to check out!
Conclusion
This is the complete list of books I recommend and could find that would be most beneficial in reading to your child or continuing your Navajo learning journey.
I will update as I find more books and more books become available.
If you are ready to read to your child but don’t know where to start, I’d suggest starting at the top of the list and working your way down. If you need more guidance, be sure to read how to read to your child.
I wish you all the best in your family’s Navajo language journey!
Let me know of any good resources I’ve missed in the comments below!
