Tess's Red Dress

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Release Date: April 7, 2026!

Using age-appropriate and empathetic language, Tess’s Red Dress introduces young children to Red Dress Day and the importance of remembering the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People.

Four-year-old Tess is excited to welcome her new baby sibling into the world! She asks her mom what it was like growing up with a sibling. Tess’s mom tells her stories about baking in the kitchen, singing loudly in the bathtub, sharing a bedroom, and braiding her sister’s hair.

Despite their excitement over their growing family, they have experienced loss: her Auntie is one of the missing. The loss of any family member makes a drastic change for those left behind and the generations to come. As the family gets ready for the Red Dress Day march, Tess's mom and dad show her how to honour her Auntie by wearing her red dress and keeping the stories and memories of her family alive.

Backmatter pages include resources to support parents and educators through this important and difficult conversation with their children.

Author: Carolyn Roberts

Illustrator: Kelsey Mata Foote

Size: 11x8 inches

Pages: 32

Ages: 6-9

Cover: Hardcover

Language: English

ISBN: 9781778540905

Release Date: April 7, 2026

“Tess’s Red Dress brings gentle but profound insight into the impacts of MMIWG2S on children and families. This book offers an intimate glimpse into the unbreakable bonds of care and connection between generations and a resolute lesson in standing up to speak out against injustice.”

- Jaime Black Morsette (founder of Red Dress Project)

“Red Dress Day is a significant day of grief for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. While it's difficult to put into words in a gentle way suitable for children, Carolyn Roberts accomplishes this beautifully. She honours and celebrates the gifts and beauty of the Indigenous women taken from their communities, weaving in a tender story of young Tess, her mother, and the strong presence of her lost Auntie, who is remembered lovingly in their home and community. Roberts emphasizes the resilient spirits of these women, their strength, and the love they shared for their families and communities, while softly sharing the heartbreak, grief, and loss their loved ones endured, along with the dark history experienced by Indigenous people in Canada. This book should be in every home on Turtle Island, and we must continue to keep working to end the ongoing and unwarranted violence against Indigenous women, children, and 2-Spirited peoples.”

- Jenna Jasek, Director of Indigenous Learning at the Outdoor Learning School & Store (Secwépemc & Ktunaxa)