The last couple of years I have used two books by S.D. Nelson and a quilt my mother made based on one of the books as inspirations for lessons in my classroom.  Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and his stories are based on things he
learned as a child.   I use the books as a cultural connection in fourth grade, as well as an example of art telling a story.  The following are two books I think you would love to use in your classroom.

The Star People A Lakota Story.

Two children, Sister Girl and her brother, Young Wolf get lost in the prairie after a wild fire. It takes their grandmother and the other star people to guide them back to their parents and their village. It is well written and illustrated and a great example of how simple pictures can tell and guide a story.

Gifted Horse A Lakota Story

This is the first book by S.D. Nelson and it is a about a journey a boy takes with his
horse to become a man.  My students love to hear and read this inspiring story. The quilt my mother made based on this book inspires my students to create amazing drawings and paintings.

I hope you and your students will enjoy these books and in the coming weeks I will be sharing more books that I use to inspire my students. Also, I will share a picture of the
quilt in the near future.