(3) K-3 Race to the Truth series. Illustrated by Bridget George. A white girl teaches readers about the colonization and land dispossession of Native Americans. She sings a song taught to her by her Anishinaabe friend’s grandmother that rebuts Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" anthem. Visits to iconic landmarks help her understand Indigenous peoples’ historical claim to the “living,” “sacred” American land--including her backyard. Fairbanks’s unvarnished text pairs well with George’s full-color digital illustrations, which portray diverse Native traditions, clothing, and housing. A necessary reminder of Native American resilience, endurance, and land rights.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bridget George. Lindstrom (We Are Water Protectors, rev. 7/20; My Powerful Hair, rev. 3/23) introduces the mission of contemporary Indigenous water activist Autumn Peltier and her great-aunt, the late Josephine Henriette Mandamin (both Anishinaabe). The lyrical text, narrated by water itself ("I am nibi. I have a spirit. I have feelings. I remember"), is effective in its simplicity and highlights the belief that water is a living thing that needs us to "Speak for the water. Sing for the water. Dance for the water." Grandma Josephine ("as she was lovingly known") recognized the harmful effects of water pollution in the Great Lakes, and she took action. To raise awareness, she walked around the lakes carrying water in a copper pail and united women from other Indigenous communities--now known as the Mother Earth Water Walkers--to join the water protection movement and inform government leaders. "When Grandma Josephine journeyed on to the spirit world, Autumn...began to use her voice for me." The colorful, flowing illustrations beautifully reflect and depict the nature of water. Peltier provides the book's foreword; back matter includes more detailed information about Grandma Josephine's and Autumn's accomplishments, a glossary, and resources to "keep learning."

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023