Susie’s Book Nook - New Children’s Book Review: “We Are Water Protectors”

Since I started Susie’s Book Nook, I have highlighted numerous books encouraging us to care for our rivers and oceans through establishing better recycling habits and understanding the full impact of products we continue to use. This month, I am going in another direction for us to consider in protecting our water sources.

“We are Water Protectors” was written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade, both of Indigenous descent. Carole is tribally enrolled with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe and Michaela is tribally enrolled with the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes.

The Ojibwe are an Algonquian-speaking North American Tribe who live in what are now Ontario and Manitoba, Canada, and Minnesota and North Dakota in the United States. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a 1,172-mile-long underground pipeline in the United States that has the ability to transport up to 750,000 barrels of light sweet crude oil per day. Needless to say, there was much controversy around this pipeline and one such protest brought forth the “water protector” name.

In her book, “We are Water Protectors” Carole Lindstrom conveys a powerful message to children and those reading the story focusing on the interconnections of all living things. The book itself is a call to action for us to safeguard our most basic and necessary water resources from human contamination and corruption.

I love her first thoughts expressed on how “water is the first medicine” and that we all come from water in the womb which nourishes us. Water also nourishes the Earth and holds a sacred quality that draws humans to be in its presence. This book reminded me of the sacred and holy nature of water in my own culture and upbringing in Episcopal traditions and celebrations.

Carole tells her story through the eyes of Indigenous People and how they care and speak for those that cannot speak for themselves. The winged ones, crawling ones, yes, all the inhabitants of the earth and the water sources themselves. The Pipeline is symbolized as a big black snake winding through our sacred earth, posing numerous threats to all of us.

The illustrations by Michaela Goade are vibrant and representative of Ojibwe culture. Michaela uses many of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe clan symbols to depict the animals and traditional teachings of these Indigenous people. The artist’s use of bold color and strong illustrations captures the imagination of the reader and flows well with easily the beautiful prose of the text. It’s no wonder this magnificent artwork was celebrated with a Caldecott Award.

Simply stated, this is a powerful story to read with your children that can begin or continue conversations about our earth and the importance of protecting its resources for generations of the future.