June 5, 2018, Toronto-- The Water Walker , written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson, has won the First Nation Communities READ Indigenous Literature Award for 2018-19, in the Children's Category. The Water Walker is a picture book for children ages 6-9, about the life of Josephine-ba Mandamin--an Ojibwe Nokomis (grandmother) dedicated to the protection of Nibi (water). The winning books were chosen by a jury of Indigenous librarians from across Ontario, with the titles representing "the best of Indigenous literature". The selected titles' authors will be presented with the Periodical Marketers of Canada Indigenous Literature Award on June 27 in Toronto at Yonge/Dundas Square as part of National Indigenous History Month celebrations. The Indigenous Literature Award comes with a prize of $3000 for each author. The Water Walker is Nokomis Josephine-ba Mandamin's story, about her dedication to raising awareness of our need to protect Nibi for future generations, and for all life on the planet. Nokomis Josephine-ba, along with other women, men, and youth, has walked around all the Great Lakes from the four salt waters, or oceans, to Lake Superior. The walks are full of challenges, and by her example Josephine-ba invites us all to take up our responsibility to protect water, the giver of life.

The book includes a glossary and pronunciation guide for Ojibwe words used in the text. It ends with a note from author Joanne Robertson inviting young readers to write a letter to Nokomis Josephine-ba to tell her all about what they are doing to help protect the environment.