The Star People: A Lakota Story
Written and Illustrated by S.D. Nelson
Abrams Books for Young Readers ©️ 2023

A grandmother's love is forever in this story of remembrance and tradition from award-winning author and member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, S.D. Nelson.

Sister Girl and her brother Young Wolf wander away from their village and soon find themselves far out in the surrounding prairie. They sit down in the grass and watch the clouds passing above billow to form an eagle, horses, and other creatures.

Suddenly, animals begin to race past the children on the ground, followed by a wall of fire! Fleeing along with the frightened beasts, Sister Girl and Young Wolf save themselves by tumbling into a shallow stream. The fire leaves behind ash and a barren, forbidding landscape.

The children realize that they are hopelessly lost. Night is coming. How will they get home to their parents? And why are the evening stars dancing so?

Motivated to give back to his community and to build literacy among Indigenous children, Nelson’s childhood experiences and family history translate into Lakota and Great Plains stories and illustrations with authority, credibility, and authenticity. Drawing upon traditional Lakota ledger book art, he brings life to a memorable new legend about the Star People.

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