When a black snake threatens to destroy the earth, one young water protector takes a stand to defend the planet's water, in a tale inspired by the many indigenous-led conservation movements across North America. - (Baker & Taylor)
From author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade comes a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal winning picture book that honors Indigenous-led movements across the world. Powerfully written and gorgeously illustrated, We Are Water Protectors, issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and curruption—inviting young readers everywhere to join the fight.
Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all . . .
When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth
And poison her people’s water, one young water protector
Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
The fight continues with Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, the must-read companion book to We Are Water Protectors. Written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Bridget George, it tells the story of real-life water protectors, Autumn Peltier and her great-aunt Josephine Mandamin, two Indigenous Rights Activists who have inspired a tidal wave of change.
- (
McMillan Palgrave)
Carole Lindstrom is Anishinabe/Métis and is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians. She was born and raised in Nebraska and currently makes her home in Maryland. She is the author of We Are Water Protectors and Girls Dance, Boys Fiddle. carolelindstrom.com
Michaela Goade is a Caldecotte Medal-winning illustrator and graphic designer living and working in Juneau, Alaska, where she was also raised. Forever inspired by the coastal wilds of Southeast Alaska, she works to capture its magic and honor its vibrant cultures. Michaela is from the Raven moiety and Kiks.ádi Clan from Sitka, Alaska. She is the illustrator of We Are Water Protectors, I Sang You Down from the Moon, Encounter, and Raven & the Tide Lady. michaelagoade.com
- (
McMillan Palgrave)
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* An Indigenous girl explains why water is sacred, before she speaks of the foretold "black snake that will destroy the land," referring to the polluting oil pipelines that course through the earth. The girl then casts fear aside, crying, "Take courage!" as she marches forward, rallying her people to defend their village and their planet. Goade's watercolor illustrations fill the spreads with streaming ribbons of water, cosmic backdrops, and lush natural landscapes, sometimes intercut by the harsh red that comes with the black snake—depicted literally, towering over people of many nations, who link hands in solidarity. Lindstrom's spare, poetic text flows with the "river's rhythm," periodically stopping to beat out the refrain, "We stand / With our songs / And our drums. / We are still here." Written in response to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, famously protested by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and others, these pages carry grief, but it is overshadowed by hope in what is an unapologetic call to action. While the text draws on specific cultural beliefs, its argument is universal: "We are stewards of the Earth." Back matter includes notes from both author and illustrator, and the final page offers a pledge that readers may choose to recite, sign, and date to affirm their commitment to the cause. A beautiful tribute and powerful manifesto. Grades K-2. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.