“Nibi was a thirsty, thirsty girl, so thirsty her mouth was clucking.” But when Nibi turns on the tap, the water is brown. Her neighbor’s water is brown, too. A girl on a mission, Nibi heads to the next town, “the town with the big, shiny houses,” and asks for some water. She’s given a small plastic bottle before the door is firmly closed: No more clean water for Nibi. Nibi makes a sign, “Water Is Life.” She dances and sings. Friends join her. Soon even the people in the big, shiny houses join her. “She is thirsty, thirsty Nibi and we want to help her have water.” The people share ideas and show “all the rule-makers how to heal the water.” Finally, Nibi is a happy girl. The author, from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg reserve in Ontario, writes that hers is one of many First Nations communities struggling to access the basic human right of clean water. This allegory illuminating a critical issue of environmental justice is paired with digital illustrations incorporating decorative Woodland Indian fish and floral patterns. (Ages 4-8)

This bright and vivacious book from two Native creators celebrates the energy, moxie, and determination of water activists of all ages.

When Nibi, an Indigenous girl, turns the tap in her house, only mucky brown water comes out. That starts her on a search for clean water to drink. Though she must face polluted rivers, unfriendly neighbors, and her own temporary discouragement, Nibi's joyful energy becomes a catalyst for change and action as her community rallies around her to make clean drinking water available for all.

The hopeful tone and lively read-aloud quality of the text open the door to conversations and action with young children, while the distinctive, delightful artwork conveys the themes of vitality, resistance, and resilience. The word "Nibi" means "water" in the Anishinaabe language, and Nibi's Water Song is as refreshing and revitalizing as its protagonist's name.