Smithsonian Books

11/26/2025

DO ALL INDIANS LIVE IN TIPIS? is an incredible guide to Native American tribes, past and present. This book debunks myths, answers frequently asked questions, and covers topics ranging from clothing to food to music.
https://s.si.edu/451ZPch

11/25/2025

The exhibition “Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe” opened today at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian! It's the first major retrospective of the acclaimed Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) artist, and you can get a sneak peek of some of his stunning work in this excerpt featured in Smithsonian Magazine from our companion book WATER'S EDGE!

This Native American Heritage Month, enjoy the work of Hoocąk artist Truman Lowe

11/23/2025

As you're planning your menus this holiday season, take inspiration from the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture's SWEET HOME CAFÉ COOKBOOK. Whether it's baked mac & cheese or sweet potato pie, these recipes are sure to delight the whole family!👩‍🍳
https://s.si.edu/485u19I

11/22/2025

As the fall foliage heads out for the season, enjoy the stories of everlasting trees with IN SEARCH OF THE OLD ONES, an adventure to find the oldest trees across the United States. The book is made beautiful by drawings like this sequoia tree! • Credit: © Rebecca Noelle Purvis🍁
https://s.si.edu/3VjIOYy

11/21/2025

It's been one month since the release of WATER'S EDGE, a beautiful book celebrating the life and work of Truman Lowe! This book is a must-read for fans of contemporary and Indigenous art. Lowe is pictured here in 1992 in his studio in Middleton, Wisconsin. •Image credit: Jeff Miller / University of Wisconsin–Madison
https://s.si.edu/47rb2ay

11/20/2025

This quilt from Margaret J. Gilman is a wonderful piece of silk and thread. It is courtesy of the New Hampshire Historical Society and it is one of the objects featured in STATE FAIRS: GROWING AMERICAN CRAFT. • Image credit: "Quilt", ca. 1898-1905 silk and thread​, Courtesy of New Hampshire Historical Society, Gift of Ruth M. Crowther
https://s.si.edu/4nPonin

11/19/2025

Happy Birthday, Eileen Collins! Pictured here in 2005 is the STS-114 mission commander suiting up before the Space Shuttle's return to flight. Collins was the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a Space Shuttle mission. She is one of the extraordinary women featured in our new book ON A MISSION! • Image credit: NASA https://s.si.edu/4a1Uh7s

11/19/2025

Have you tuned into the latest Ken Burns documentary miniseries yet? If it's left you wanting to learn as much as you can about the American Revolution, check out our book THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: A WORLD WAR for amazing insight! https://www.smithsonianbooks.com/store/history/the-american-revolution-a-world-war/

The American Revolution, a landmark documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, premieres Nov. 16, 2025.

11/19/2025

The new Netflix mini-series Death by Lightning follows the short-lived presidency of James A. Garfield and his assassination at the hands of Charles Guiteau. Do you know how many doctors tried and failed to heal him? 12, many of the experts doing more harm than good. Learn more in our book THE SMITHSONIAN BOOK OF PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY! https://www.smithsonianbooks.com/store/history/the-smithsonian-book-of-presidential-trivia/

Stars Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen break down the historical limited series.

11/12/2025

November marks National Picture Book Month! A IS FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE is our beautifully illustrated picture book that celebrates what makes us unique as individuals and what connects us as humans.
https://s.si.edu/43gdIFB

11/11/2025

This adorable white lion cub and protective lion are from the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in South Africa. Find more like them in the stunning photography book THE LAST LIONS. 🦁 Image credit: © Chad Cocking https://s.si.edu/46kOOoJ

11/10/2025

November is Native American Heritage Month, and our book WATER'S EDGE celebrates the talent and legacy of Native American artist Truman Lowe. Lowe was most well known for his incredible sculptures that turn wood into water, evoking the rivers, streams, and waterfalls in Black River Falls, Wisconsin where he was raised.
https://s.si.edu/47rb2ay