Critics praised its message of environmental justice, its depiction of diversity, and the watercolor illustrations, for which Goade won the 2021 Caldecott Medal, becoming the first Indigenous recipient of the award.

Reflecting on her grandmother's words, the girl declares that "we are water protectors" who will give the black snake the fight of its life.

We Are Water Protectors was written by Carole Lindstrom, who is Ojibwe, and illustrated by Michaela Goade, who is a member of the Tlingit and Haida tribes.

[1] Lindstrom decided to write the book after learning about the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Reservation in 2016.

[4][10] In an interview, Lindstrom said that she has "always been a sparse writer", and that she felt that using fewer words allowed both the illustrator (Goade) and the reader to use their imaginations in visualizing the story.

[7] Goade said that among the most challenging illustrations in the book was one showing the pipeline's effect on animals such as birds and fish, as they are turned into partial skeletons.

[13] In her acceptance speech, Goade stated that she hoped "that Indigenous children leave the story feeling seen and celebrated, because they are so often told the opposite in our world".

In his review for Booklist, Khuri described it as "a beautiful tribute and powerful manifesto", applauding the paintings of water, landscapes, and the black snake.

The audiobook version and animated adaptation were also well received; Brian Wilson, a reviewer for Booklist, praised the use of sound effects such as waves crashing and the hissing of the snake.