Morning on the Lake

by Jan Bourdeau Waboose, Karen Reczuch (Illustrator)

In the first of three linked stories, a young boy and his grandfather set out in a birchbark canoe early one spring morning. Together, they discover the peaceful beauty of the lake. In the second story, the sun rises high in the summer sky as they climb a rocky cliff for a bird's-eye view of the land. And, finally, as an autumn night descends, they venture into the woods. Under the patient and gentle guidance of his grandfather, the boy gradually comes to respect the ways of nature and to understand his own place in the world.

Genres: Picture Books, Indigenous, Childrens, Native American

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third grade students enjoyed this book as a read aloud. They picked up on the calm mood of the story. It’s not a quick story, not action packed. It’s very calm, and it’s a bit long. I really though would be bored. Instead, they were spellbound.

This is the story of a boy and his grandfather who spend a day out in nature. They students picked up on grandfather saying that each part of the day was his favorite.

[Mattia Bacchelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this and enjoyed the grandfather grandson relationship. I really like how they’re in the wilderness and it feels calm and also dangerous at the same time. The pictures where solid, the plot was straight forward and the writing was simple and I think this would work wonderfully as a bed time story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full confession, I got this book out of a Happy Meal so I was not expecting much.

The book blew my expectations away though. It's heartfelt, well-written, has beautiful artwork, and taught me some words I didn't know in Anishinaabe.

5/5 stars!

[Olivier Boivin · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai reçu ce livre en français dans un joyeux festin McDonald’s. Comme j’ai été agréablement surpris par ce court récit tendre entre un grand-père, la nature et son petit-fils. C’est une belle histoire douce douce douce. Il y a une profondeur innocente et bien maîtrisée à la fois.

[Raquel Schmitt]

The boy and his grandfather go on an adventure together. The boy learns how to respect nature while canoeing with his grandpa, climbing mountains, and walking through the woods.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely. OwnVoices northern Ojibway. I was lucky enough to find a paper copy to read, but it's also on openlibrary.org so you can read it there.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. I loved its gentle, caring nature and it’s loving depiction of the powerful bond between grandfather and grandson. There was something calming and sacred about the text and it paired well with the illustrations. A huge bonus is that it was written by an Anishnaabe author.

[Caitlin McMorrow]

This story is a three part series, Morning, Noon and Night. Each section has a specific story about a young boy and his grandfather. The book discusses the importance of moccasins, birch canoes, loons, and an eagle. There is very little specific historical information in the book, but it still teaches important multicultural aspects.

I think this book could be used as an example of comparing historical fiction compared to non-fiction texts. It also could be incorporated with social studies and learning about Native Americans.

[Kassi Moorehead]

In the beginning of this book the young boy is on a trip with his grandpa and meets wild creatures. In the middle he develops bonds with these animals. In the end him and his grandfather bond with each other and nature.