We Are Water Protectors

We Are Water Protectors is a Caldecott Medal-winning picture book that beautifully blends Indigenous wisdom with an urgent environmental message. Written by Carole Lindstrom (Ojibwe) and illustrated by Michaela Goade (Tlingit and Haida), it tells the story of an Ojibwe girl who, guided by her grandmother's teachings, rallies her community to protect their water from a destructive 'black snake,' a metaphor for an oil pipeline. The book is inspired by the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and serves as a powerful introduction to environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and the importance of activism for children aged 4-11. It includes notes on the Standing Rock protests and a pledge for readers.

Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade. 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.