Rock Your Mocs

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. A perfect book for Native American Heritage Month and all year round!

We’re stepping out

and kicking it up.

Wearing beauty on their feet—

as art, as tradition,

with style, with pride—

kids from different Native Nations know

every day is a day to ROCK YOUR MOCS! 

This book contains an author’s note with additional information about moccasins and Rock Your Mocs day, for readers curious to learn more about intertribal pride and the joy found in different Native identities.

An American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award Honor Book!

"Goodluck emphasizes the variety of styles and names given to moccasins (reflecting available materials, climate requirements, and languages) and encourages children to celebrate their Indigenous identities. Goodnight makes use of transparent, faded figures to depict ancestors and traditional lore, clearly delineating contemporary children and events from the past." - Booklist

"With each page turn, readers learn more about the significance of mocs: They are works of art, repositories of cultural knowledge, and, above all, a way to “honor our deep-rooted traditions while adapting to our sacred present.” Both informative and inspiring, Goodluck’s (Mandan/Hidatsa) text is concise. The upbeat tone is echoed in Goodnight’s (Chickasaw Nation) bright illustrations, which feature people in urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Joyfully inspiring." - Kirkus Reviews

"Goodluck and Goodnight highlight a First Nation tradition through their words and whimsical illustrations. A good choice for all picture book shelves." - School Library Journal