The importance of protecting our waterways cannot be understated. Water is life and without it our earth will perish. In We Are Water Protectors Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade illustrate in text and pictures how destructive pipelines are to Mother Earth. 

Our children know the importance of water. The Bear and The Bee were watching a hand washing video and they were appalled that the creator left the water running while they were soaping up their hands. It is because of books such like We Are Water Protectors that they are aware of the importance of conservation but they also need to know about other factors that threaten the water such as the pipelines. We are Water Protectors calls all readers to action in fighting for all the creatures who can’t fight for themselves.

The illustrations by Michaela Goade are otherworldly. Her style is bold and beautiful. They are vibrant and full of all the colours of nature. The two page spreads drive the lyrical text and the call to action home. This book is a treasure book for the keep reading shelf!

This book is a protest. It’s a protest against the pipelines, the “black snake [that] courses through the water, Making it unfit to drink”. We all have a responsibility to protect the land and the water, this is not a fight that indigenous people should be taking on alone. Every single life needs water to survive and if we don’t stop and recognize the damage we are inflicting we won’t have any clean water to leave to our children and grandchildren.