The Lost Lake

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.

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.

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!