Madelyn Goodnight

Books by This Illustrator

Powwow Day

Illustration of young girl watching a powwow
Illustrated by: Madelyn Goodnight
Age Level: 6-9

River wants so badly to dance at powwow day as she does every year. In this uplifting and contemporary picture book perfect for beginning readers, follow River's journey from feeling isolated after an illness to learning the healing power of community. Additional information explains the history and functions of powwows, which are commonplace across the United States and Canada and are open to both Native Americans and non-Native visitors. Author Traci Sorell is a member of the Cherokee Nation, and illustrator Madelyn Goodnight is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.

Rock Your Mocs

A group of people wearing mocassins
Illustrated by: Madelyn Goodnight
Age Level: 6-9

In this happy, vibrant tribute to Rock Your Mocs Day, observed yearly on November 15, author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian) and artist Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw) celebrate the joy and power of wearing moccasins — and the Native pride that comes with them.

The Pear Tree

Elderly woman looking out over hills by a pear tree
By: Luli Gray
Illustrated by: Madelyn Goodnight
Age Level: 6-9

In this folktale retold, Esperanza gives her very last pear to a beggar and is rewarded with the best pear crop she’s ever had—and the power to ensnare anyone she wants in her tree. When Señor Death comes for her, Esperanza tricks him into climbing her tree, where he becomes stuck, unable to come down and do his work. From that point on, no one dies.