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We Are Water Protectors - written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade.

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The young female narrator wants to protect her land, its water, and all its creatures, but a "black snake" (pipeline) threatens to poison the water with its venom. She decides to rally her people to stand in solidarity and fight to protect their land from the black snake. Together, they mount peaceful protests, as stewards of the earth and all its many creatures. Through her actions, the young narrator shows us how important it is to never let our spirits be broken and to always stand up for what we believe in and to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

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We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom READ ALOUD ~RING AROUND RONINA~

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Trait - Spiritual. She believes water has its own spirit. For her, water is alive and able to remember all of her family's ancestors.

Trait - Educative. She guides and teaches the young narrator about their family's cultural beliefs surrounding water.

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Jane Addams Children's Book Award (2021)

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Jane Addams Children's Book Award (2021)

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Recognizes "children's books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people."

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Comprehension Strategy: Activating and Using Background Knowledge

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Comprehension Strategy: Activating and Using Background Knowledge

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A great way to help students further engage with this book would be to ensure they have some background knowledge on the topics presented within the story prior to reading. Teachers should consider implementing a lesson either before or concurrently about the water cycle, environmentalism, pipelines, and water pollution. Another great lesson idea would be to teach about the history of Indigenous Peoples/culture in America and the Indigenous-led movements that inspired the book. Such a unit would combine science, social studies and english language arts.

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Trait - Courageous. The narrator is unafraid to stand up for what she believes in. She shows moral strength and fortitude in her willingness to protest and fight against the black snake despite adversity. She also displays courage by speaking up and rallying her entire community together to fight for all those unable to do so (the animals, the water, the land).

Trait - Resilient. The narrator demonstrates that both she and her entire community are resilient. "We stand / With our songs / And our drums. / We are still here." Her resilience is also shown when she declares that she and her community are protectors of the earth and that their spirits have not been broken.

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We Are Water Protectors uses a "black snake" as a metaphor for a pipeline. As a result, information is not being presented explicitly and students will need to practice making inferences in order to construct meaning and fully comprehend the text. Teachers should help students 'read between the lines' by finding clues and making inferences in combination with background knowledge gained through the other suggested comprehension strategy.

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Awarded "to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in United States during the preceding year."

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Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text (2021)

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Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text (2021)

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Recognizing excellence in children's literature.