“WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS” Review

We Are Water Protectors

Written by Carole Lindstrom

Illustrated by Michaela Goade

The Summary:

This children’s book is about a girl who talks about the importance of water in her culture. In this short story, the significance of water is in all aspects of life. Water, she explains, is life and is essential to all other life as well. Not only is it cherished in her culture but she explains that it is also a necessity by all on this planet. She expresses her people’s deep concern about “the black snake” that threatens to poison the water. Together, her and her people stand tall to stop “the black snake” and protect the water.

My Thoughts:

This book provides multi-subject learning. By reading it in a classroom, it provides literacy and reading comprehension opportunities. The author and illustrator included many cultural references about Native Americans which can promote cultural learning and empathy towards diversity. Lastly, it allows for some scientific aspects if your classroom chooses to connect the book to things such as the percent of drinkable fresh water on Earth.

Because it is written by someone of Native American heritage, the book offers some important insight on reliable cultural information about Native Americans such as them viewing water as being “sacred”.

It also provides a very deep and meaningful metaphor for the students. In my personal experience in the classroom, children are quick to forget the meaning of the word “metaphor”. After this book is read to students and a discussion is had about what “the black snake” is and the students start to realize that it was a metaphor for the Pipeline across America, they will have a important and real-world connection to metaphors. Maybe you also want to give your students the chance to find a simile in the book as well (“tears like waterfalls” page 30) and talk about the differences between metaphors and similes to further that knowledge.

At the end of the book it offers you to make a pledge to be an earth steward and a water protector. After discussions end, it would be a great chance to ask the students if they wanted to make the pledge and you can sign the pledge as “____’s class”.

I think this is such an important book to read with your class. Not only does it have cultural aspects in the book, but it also creates this love and appreciation for the Earth and water so that the reader is inclined to protect it.

References:

Writer - Carole Lindstrom

Illustrator - Michaela Goade

Lindstrom, C., & Goade, M., (2020). We Are Water Protectors. Roaring Book Press.