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 corruption—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.

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

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.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

The book opens with a young Indigenous girl collecting water with her grandmother, who tells her that water is the first medicine. Vibrant blues, greens, and purples depict the river as it flows in the background of the beautifully composed spread. The river then flows onto the next spread, encircling a mother and her unborn child. The water nourished us inside our mother's body. As it nourishes us here on Mother Earth. With every page-turn, the river continues to flow; it becomes the young girl's hair as she leads members of her community to where the black snake threatens to take over their land and water. The refrain We stand / With our songs / And our drums / We are still here, which punctuates and strengthens the main text, is printed in italics and can easily be read as the voice of the community come together. The book closes with members of multiple Native communities united at Standing Rock to stop the black snake. Back matter includes more information about water protection and Standing Rock; a glossary of Ojibwe, Tlingit, and Lakota words; an illustrator's note; and an Earth Steward and Water Protector Pledge. Copyright 2021 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

The book opens with a young Indigenous girl collecting water with her grandmother, who tells her that "water is the first medicine." Vibrant blues, greens, and purples depict the river as it flows in the background of the beautifully composed spread. The river then flows onto the next spread, encircling a mother and her unborn child. The water "nourished us inside our mother's body. As it nourishes us here on Mother Earth." With every page-turn, the river continues to flow; it becomes the young girl's hair as she leads members of her community to where the "black snake" threatens to take over their land and water. The refrain "We stand / With our songs / And our drums / We are still here," which punctuates and strengthens the main text, is printed in italics and can easily be read as the voice of the ­community come together. The book closes with members of multiple Native communities united at Standing Rock to stop the "black snake." Back matter includes more information about water protection and Standing Rock; a glossary of Ojibwe, Tlingit, and Lakota words; an illustrator's note; and an "Earth Steward and Water Protector Pledge." Nicholl Denice Montgomery July/August 2020 p.118 Copyright 2020 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

In this tribute to Native resilience, Indigenous author-and-illustrator team Lindstrom and Goade invite readers to stand up for environmental justice. "Water is the first medicine," a young, unnamed protagonist reflects as she wades into a river with her grandmother. "We come from water." Stunning illustrations, rich in symbolism from the creators' respective Ojibwe and Tlingit/Haida lineages, bring the dark-haired, brown-skinned child's narrative to life as she recounts an Anishinaabe prophecy: One day, a "black snake" will terrorize her community and threaten water, animals, and land. "Now the black snake is here," the narrator proclaims, connecting the legend to the present-day threat of oil pipelines being built on Native lands. Though its image is fearsome, younger audiences aren't likely to be frightened due to Goade's vibrant, uplifting focus on collective power. Awash in brilliant colors and atmospheric studies of light, the girl emphasizes the importance of protecting "those who cannot fight for themselves" and understanding that on Earth, "we are all related." Themes of ancestry, community responsibility, and shar ed inheritance run throughout. Where the brave protagonist is depicted alongside her community, the illustrations feature people of all ages, skin tones, and clothing styles. Lindstrom's powerful message includes non-Native and Native readers alike: "We are stewards of the Earth. We are water protectors." An inspiring call to action for all who care about our interconnected planet. (author's note, glossary, illustrator's note, Water Protector pledge) (Picture book. 5-12) Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Metis/Ojibwe author Lindstrom (Girls Dance, Boys Fiddle) honors those who fight to protect the Earth's fresh water. The words are spoken by a child who's shown first with her grandmother: "Water is the first medicine.... Water is sacred," the white-haired woman tells her. Bold strokes of light, limpid color wash across layered spreads by Tlingit and Haida artist Goade (Encounter). The girl tells of the arrival of an oil pipeline, the "black snake" that will "spoil the water./ Poison plants and animals./ Wreck everything in its path." The half-bleached figures of a bird and a fish lie next to the pipeline leaking black sludge. "The plants, trees, rivers, lakes..."—Goade pulls back to view the Earth from space studded with stars—"We are all related." Observation is not enough, the book communicates: action is necessary. And the girl doesn't just participate in protest; she stands at the front, carrying a feather in one hand, as other protestors answer her call. "We are water protectors. WE STAND!" An author's note traces the story's genesis to the 2016 Standing Rock protests in the Dakotas. A passionate call for environmental stewardship. Ages 3–6. Author's agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Mar.)

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 3—From swirling, detailed watercolor illustrations to lyrical text with the refrain, "We stand with our songs and our drums. We are still here," this title explores the Indigenous fight to protect water from pollution. A young Anishinaabe girl explains the prophecy of the black snake "that will destroy the land. Spoil the water. Poison plants and animals. Wreck everything in its path." The unnamed girl calls for action to protect all living things and "fight for those who cannot fight for themselves." The illustrations use rich colors and shading to show the intricate connection among all living creatures. A broken pipeline leaks into blue waters, turning fish and fowl into skeletons. Ghosts of ancestors surround children as an elder tells them the black snake prophecy. Black pipelines form the body of the snake on a red background, its mouth open and ready to strike. The author and illustrator notes focus on the need to protect water, and explain events at Standing Rock, where tribal members and their allies fought against an oil pipeline. A glossary of terms is provided, and the last page has an "Earth Steward and Water Protector Pledge" for readers to sign. VERDICT An accessible introduction to environmental issues combined with beautiful illustrations, this book will both educate and inspire youth. First purchase for all libraries.—Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA