Caldecott Medal or honor book: We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (illustrated by Michaela Goade)


 

Summary 
 
This story is told by an Ojibwe girl who refers to her grandmother's teachings about the sanctity of water. In the story, a metaphorical black snake seeks to destroy the land and describes the snake has already arrived as an oil pipeline. As a response, she calls for the people of her tribe to stand together  and protect the land, its animals and the water.
 
Justification for this text
 
I chose this text because it is a Caldecott Medal Award winner (2021) and a Jane Addams' Children's Book Award Winner. Also, students may benefit from using this text to not only learn about Native American heritage and culture, environmentalism, and the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

Attractive Design

The illustrator, Michaela Goade uses watercolor illustrations to depict people with varying skin tones, ages, genders, and attire. These illustrations support the narrative that even though the text could be used to reflect indigenous culture, any attack against the environment is a human rights issue that should bring all people together. 

Accurate Representation of Cultural Details

What this text represents is the many indigenous-led movements that have taken place over the course of American history. It also ties this into folktales and folklore which is also very prevalent in Native American culture. In the Native American culture, telling old stories with moral lessons to learn is a way to teach children about how to appreciate the simplicity of things that matter in life and how to fight for what they believe in.

Read the Pictures

The illustrations in this book are so vivid that without the words, the story could still be told. Through the illustrations, the reader is able to gauge the emotionalism and the call to action present in the narrative of the text.



Citation

Lindstrom, C. (2020). We are water protectors. Roaring Press.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes (Walter Award winner)

Image
      Summary Sixteen-year-old Yamilet's life is turned upside down after she comes out to her best friend (also her crush) and becomes alienated. In an attempt to rebuild her life she assumes the identity of a straight girl at a Catholic high school. The text chronicles her challenges to keep her same-sex attraction a secret, especially as she develops a crush on Bo, a girl who is out and boldly wears rainbow attire and openly confronts homophobic teachers. Other issues pointed out in the text are racism, religious differences, mental health struggles, peer pressures, and familial ties. What does the text have to do with the reader personally? If the reader is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, they can easily identify with Yamilet. Throughout the text, Yamilet experiences many forms of alienation from her former best friend and her father after she comes out to both of them. She also fears that she will be kicked out and forced to support and provide for herself if she c...
Read more

Queer Ducks (and other animals): the natural world of animal sexuality by Eliot Schrefer (YA/Printz Honor Book)

Image
  Summary This informational text highlights sexual behaviors of animals, homosexual sexual behaviors, in particular. The book incorporates comical illustrations and interviews conducted by the author, Eliot Schrefer with scientists. Schrefer also relates his own experiences as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and how society perceives it and ties it in to animal behavior. Although this is an informational text, the narrative is presented in a language and style that is relatable to its intended audience (Grades 9 and up). Justification This book is a Printz Honor Book and received favorable reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Booklist . Unusual Viewpoints There are many books on the sexual behaviors of animals, but not very many, if any, that particularly focus on homosexual activities of animals. This aspect of the text is enough to grab readers attention. The textbook, Children's Literature, Briefly states that "the unusual viewpoint, whether on the cover or inside ...
Read more

What Do They Do With All of That Poo? by Jane Kurtz (Informational Book)

Image
Summary    This text unlocks the mystery of what happens with animal waste at the zoo. Filled with many zany facts about the shapes, sizes, and colors of different kinds of zoo animals. The text also teaches readers about where the waste is transported and what it is used for once it is disposed of.   Justification for this text   I chose this text because just the title enough is attention-grabbing for many young readers. The inclusion of simple rhyming words in this informational picture book makes it an easy and enjoyable read. The text also includes a good number of descriptive terms to help students visualize the different types of "poo" for the animals. Attractive Design/Read the Pictures The illustrator, Allison Black provides vivid pictures that serve as an effective narration that could tell the information without the words. As the book describes the different types of "poo," the illustrations support these descriptions accurately. Little-Known Facts Ac...
Read more