Fierce Aunties!
By Lauren Goodluck author
Steph Littlebird illustrator
Simon & Shuster, 2025.
Ages 4 to 8.
2026 YMA American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book honor
Who do you go to for advice and support? Or when you want an adventure and a little extra courage? Or when you need to find that warrior spirit inside of you?
Aunties come in different shapes, sizes and ages.
This story/poem captures the care, love and dedication that aunties can offer, highlighting a special role they play in a child’s life. For the reader what’s unique is how these illustrations open doors for deeper conversations about history and contemporary life when a child is ready to explore those topics.
Here we experience a joyful and vibrant celebration of what makes aunties so special, from Indigenous author and illustrator team Laurel Goodluck and Steph Littlebird. They invite all readers to connect with the fierce aunties in their lives. This book encourages the love and support that all children need, whether from biological family members, teachers, coaches, or other mentors.
Goodluck writes picture books with modern universal themes and everyday life, showing Native children and all children that their cultural perspective is unique and powerful. Laurel comes from an intertribal background. She is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and an Alaska Native Citizen of the Tsimshian Tribe. An author’s note at the end of the book highlights the fierce aunties the author has seen in her own life and that of her children.
Steph Littlebird is an artist, author, curator, and enrolled member of Oregon’s Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes. The illustrations here are created digitally.
