The Lost Lake [Hardcover]

Allen Say (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1989 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Luke and his father, who is disgusted by the tourists surrounding the once secluded lake of his childhood, hike deeper into the wilderness to find a "lost lake" of their own.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A boy spends a lonely summer with his father, who is so engrossed in work he scarcely notices or talks to his son. Early one Saturday Dad wakes the boy with a surprise: they are going camping, in search of a special lake Dad had visited as a boy. When the Lost Lake is rediscovered, it is overrun with families camping and swimming; Dad is determined they will find another. Through a bleak rainstorm and dangerous bear country father and son press on, and the boy is happy to see Dad gradually become more animated and talkative. The father's dogged perseverance finally pays off: a brand-new special lake, all to themselves, to enjoy and remember. There is a sense of melancholy pervading Say's narrative, yet the story is far from depressing. The reader is drawn into the frustration felt--for different reasons--by both father and son, and rejoices with them in their final glorious discovery. The search for a childhood dream has a universal appeal, and Say's watercolors beautifully enhance both the senses of loss and discovery. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-- One summer Luke goes to live with his father in the city. Lonely, without friends, and with his noncommunicative father working all the time, he is bored. All that changes, however, when they set off on a camping trip in the mountains. Their destination is Lost Lake, his father's favorite holiday hideaway. Heavily burdened with supplies, they hike into the wilderness, only to discover that Lost Lake has been found, and is crowded with campers and tents. Disgusted, his father decides to head deep into the woods to find a secluded camping site, and Luke is soon swept along by his father's determination to find their own special lake. This is an absorbing story which takes readers on two journeys. The obvious trek is into the wilderness, but there is a parallel route which follows the boy and his father as they develop a deeper understanding of one another. The illustrations are meticulous, clean, and have an air of serenity. In the early scenes, readers sense the loneliness and isolation of the father's apartment, while the challenge, the mystery, and the wonder of being off the beaten track are captured in evocative woodland landscapes. The pictures of Luke and his father display a tenderness and warmth altogether different from the landscapes. In each, Say reveals his considerable talent which quietly and effectively draws readers into each of the scenes depicted. A wholly satisfying story. --Phyllis G. Sidorsky, National Cathedral Sch . , Washington, DC
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 30, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395509335
• ISBN-13: 978-0395509333
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,561,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Allen Say was born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1937. He dreamed of becoming a cartoonist from the age of six, and, at age twelve, apprenticed himself to his favorite cartoonist, Noro Shinpei. For the next four years, Say learned to draw and paint under the direction of Noro, who has remained Say's mentor. Say illustrated his first children's book -- published in 1972 -- in a photo studio between shooting assignments. For years, Say continued writing and illustrating children's books on a part-time basis. But in 1987, while illustrating THE BOY OF THE THREE-YEAR NAP (Caldecott Honor Medal), he recaptured the joy he had known as a boy working in his master's studio. It was then that Say decided to make a full commitment to doing what he loves best: writing and illustrating children's books. Since then, he has written and illustrated many books, including TREE OF CRANES and GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY, winner of the 1994 Caldecott Medal. He is a full-time writer and illustrator living in Portland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Found Treasure, August 12, 2001

By 

Redheaded Runner (Duvall, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost Lake (Hardcover)

As a fan of Say's book "Grandfather's Journey", I am surprised that it took me so long to dip into Say's other wonderful books! "The Lost Lake" is a heartwarming tale of a father/son camping trip. Along the way the pair discover new things, both in nature and in one another. Say's well written story makes each of the son's emotions distinct and identifiable to readers of all ages: boredom, anticipation, excitement, disappointment, exhaustion and contentment. This book is an excellent read for children in the third grade and older. I plan to read it aloud to my fourth grade students to start an expedition-style math unit. I am certain it will become a popular book on our classroom book shelf!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another children's book I bought for myself, February 14, 2008

By 

Janet Means "Storyteller" (Phoenix AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lost Lake (Houghton Mifflin Sandpiper Books) (Paperback)

Allen Say's watercolor illustrations are exceptional. It is worth buying the book for them alone. The story about relationship of the father and son and what they learn about themselves and each other is touching without being sentimental. It is a story with meaning that is both subtle and profound.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A boy and his father search together for the Lost Lake, April 6, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lost Lake (Paperback)

There is a lot happening in the periphery of "The Lost Lake," which is written and illustrated by Allen Say. A young boy comes to live with his dad in the city one summer. We assume that the boy's parents are divorced and that he is an only child, and we might even make assumptions as to what state or country is the setting for the story, but those are really mere guesses. What we do know is that the father in this story works in his room from morning to night and often on weekends. Not much of a talker in the first place, the boy's father does not talk at all when he gets busy. The boy says little either, spending all his time reading all of the books he brought and getting tired of watching television. Then one morning the boy starts cutting out pictures from old magazines, taking pictures of mountains and lakes, where people are fishing and canoeing, and pinning them up in his room. His father notices the display and when the young boy worries that he has marked up the wall, his father only comments that he was going to repaint the room anyway. But, again, there is more going on here than meets the eye.

On Saturday morning the dad wakes up the boy early in the morning and announces that they are going camping. With new hiking boots, a big backpack, and a knapsack, they head off on a long drive. The father announces that they are going to the Lost Lake, a special place that he went with his own father many years ago. For a whole week they are going to sleep outside and catch their own fish to eat. However, when they get to the lake they discover it is now the "Found" Lake because there are dozens of people camping, fishing, swimming, and doing other fun things. The little boy does not mind camping there with all those people around them, but the father does and they continue their quest for a new Lost Lake.

Of course finding the Lost Lake is but a metaphor for a parent and child who are seeking a way to reconnect. It is hard not to see the allegorical dimensions of Say's tale, especially for those of us who could not survive a single night sleeping under the stars let alone an entire week. The chief charm for Say's story and his watercolor illustrations is that he shows us rather than tells us this tale, and the silence that comes the end makes us realize how much things have changed from the silence that opened the story. Ultimately, this is a story not so much for children in such situations, but rather for their parents.