The Water Walker

January 1, 2018
An Ojibwe woman and friends, concerned about human carelessness for �cf2]Nibi�cf1] (water), walk around the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River, and more to bring attention to the problem. Illustrated with simple childlike art (the human faces have dots for eyes and no other features) and sprinkled with Ojibwe words, this eco-story is based on the life of Nokomis Josephine Mandamin, who formed the Mother Earth Water Walkers. Glos.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-Nokomis Josephine Mandamin, an Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe grandmother) started walking in 2003 to draw attention to issues of water quality and scarcity. Not just a mile or two-no, Josephine and the Mother Earth Water Walkers circumnavigated the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River and traversed the United States, from ocean to ocean. With a copper pail of water and an eagle-head staff in hand, Josephine and the Mother Earth Water Walkers continue their tradition each year. Conservation, spirituality, and determination are the warp and weft of the story as author/illustrator Robertson (also an Anishinaabekwe) shares Nokomis's deep commitment to water. Robertson's naive-folk art mash-up, however, lacks the same strength as her narrative. Wobbly lines give the book a homespun, unfinished quality. Several spreads, including one of the Water Walkers weeping as they pour water from their pail into Lake Superior, deserve a long look, but inconsistencies should give a purchaser pause. The mostly mouthless and noseless characters in the second half of the book convey solemnity, but other emotions are hard to decipher. Problems with scale abound, and text written in two different hands distracts. A glossary of Ojibwe terms is appended. VERDICT A worthwhile read about a First Nation grandmother and her committment to one of our most important resources, but lacking in the quality of the illustrations.-Kristy Kilfoyle, Canterbury School, Fort Myers, FL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
A picture book that tells the story of the Mother Earth Water Walkers, a group that walks to bring awareness to the importance of clean water. Nokomis ("grandmother") Josephine Mandamin, an Ojibwe, loves and respects Nibi ("water"), greeting it every morning with gratitude. Hearing an elder predict that clean water will soon be more precious than gold, Nokomis decides to take action. She and other women begin to walk, first around the Great Lakes (an endeavor that takes seven years), then around other bodies of water, to highlight the importance of unpolluted water. Author/illustrator Robertson, an AnishinaabeKwe, tells her true story without lecturing and fills it with bright, effectively childlike illustrations. She writes with verve and occasional gentle humor about the need to respect Nibi and to make decisions for "your grandchildren's grandchildren." The humor extends to the illustrations; in one image Nokomis sits with her feet in bunny slippers, using her laptop to buy new sneakers. There is a slight storyline confusion (was it Nokomis Josephine or other women who did the walking from the four points of Turtle Island?), but this is a small quibble in a book about such a large issue. The illustrated glossary with pronunciations is essential, since Robertson uses Ojibwe words throughout, a decision that enhances the book's substance. An important topic is treated with grace, love, and a smidgen of humor in this delightful, necessary book. (informational note) (Picture book. 3-7)

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