Stories Are the Heart of the World

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Author(s)

Laurel Goodluck

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Nicole Neidhardt

Publisher

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

May 05, 2026

ISBN

978-1665948951

Award-winning Indigenous author Laurel Goodluck weaves an intertribal celebration of traditions and stories that help Indigenous children—and all children—understand who they are as they enter and discover the world in this tender picture book.

When we begin our lives, stories help us understand who we are.

Drawing on tribal Nations’ traditions including Mandan-Hidatsa and Navajo/Diné, this lyrical picture book carries us through the milestones of a beloved child’s life, from birth and their first laugh to entering young adulthood and understanding their place in the community and the world.

Each ceremony that marks a special moment comes with a story—and each story reminds us of the beauty and responsibility to the land we call home, the powerful ancestors who came before us, and the amazing people we can grow up to be.

An Indigenous author-illustrator duo, the award-winning Laurel Goodluck and rising star Nicole Neidhardt, have gorgeously captured the rituals and stories that shape our lives.

Editor review

1 review

Generation to Generation

May 10, 2026 (Updated: June 08, 2026)

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

“Stories Are the Heart of the World” by Laurel Goodluck, with illustrations by Nicole Neidhardt, contains many wonderfully thought-provoking lines, one of which is: “When you are in the world … wishful stories root you to your homeland.” This is exactly what the book aims to do—to instill stories, tradition, and engagement with one’s past, present, and future, so that children grow up to be generous, healthy, grateful, responsible, balanced, and loved, among other traits and emotions.

The author’s note in the back of the book makes this even clearer, sharing that the book itself is a love letter to her sons, and how storytelling is an important part of their growth. Much of the beauty of the book can be found in the way that the author’s intertribal family and upbringing influences the way in which her story is told. Different tribes bring different aspects to the story and to her life, contributing to her identity and her desire to pass on the knowledge she holds dear.

The back matter of the book also contains beautifully fashioned questions about the cultural and/or community rituals of readers. Knowing who one is, where one comes from, and how to find the answers that one seeks about these topics is an important part of knowing how to tell one’s own story, so that story can continue to be passed on from generation to generation.

Good Points

Much of the beauty of the book can be found in the way that the author’s intertribal family and upbringing influences the way in which her story is told. Different tribes bring different aspects to the story and to her life, contributing to her identity and her desire to pass on the knowledge she holds dear.