Lost Lake

by Allen Say

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. Illustrated.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Nature, Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Asian Literature

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Allen Say is one of the most beloved artists working today. He is the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY, and also won a Caldecott Honor and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for THE BOY OF THE THREE-YEAR NAP (written by Dianne Snyder). Many of Allen’s stories are derived from his own experiences as a child. His other books include THE BICYCLE MAN, TEA WITH MILK, and TREE OF CRANES, hailed by The Horn Book in a starred review as “the achievement of a master in his prime.” Allen’s recent book, ERIKA-SAN, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Emily Nunez-Eddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Luke spends the summer with his emotionally-absent and workaholic father, he finds himself most days, sitting in front of the TV. After abandoning the TV for an afternoon to cut out pictures of nature, Luke’s father interrupts his activity and declares that they are going to go camping, to find the Lost Lake, a lake that Luke’s father used to explore when he was a young boy. In “The Lost Lake”, author Allen Say presents an interesting, humorous and heartwarming story of a young boy and his hopeful relationship with his father.
The illustrations in “The Lost Lake” are incredibly unique and visually appealing in many ways. Allen Say illustrates in a way that combines aspects of realism and abstract, using a mixture of dark and light, and pastel and bright colors that draws the readers attention towards the pictures and encourages further artistic discussion. The illustrations of Luke and his father are realistic, portraying recognizable human emotions, yet the illustrations of the setting, such as the lake and mountains, is almost surrealistic. The combination of realistic illustrations with surrealistic surroundings is aesthetically interesting, and adds new dimension to the story. The illustrations contain a large amount of geometric shapes, shown especially through the scenery, and are full-page spreads with an absence of negative space.
“The Lost Lake” explores the relationship between a young boy and his father, who is emotionally absent. Through the little boy’s first-person recollection, readers get an inside view to how his father’s actions are interpreted by him. As the story progresses and the little boy is taken camping by his father, the relationship progresses as well — the father and son speak more and share intimate moments of frustration, when the “Lost Lake” is filled with people, and joy, as they find their own lake. With a strong resolution and definite “happy-ending”, this book lends itself for a positive discussion about parent-child relationships and understanding/compromising through generations.

[Ashley B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this book shows how a father and son bonded over finding a lake that no one else has found before. They went on quiet the journey and had to overcome some obstacles along the way to find what they were looking for. I could see a reader being inspired to go out and find something of their own. I liked how the boy was honest with his dad and told him he was more fun to be around when they were out hiking than when the dad was at home doing nothing but working.

[Shannon Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a cool book. After reading this I did a research paper on black bears.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke goes to live with his father for a summer. While there, his dad didn't talk much, and Luke quickly became bored. To pass time, Luke cut out pictures from magazines- most of them were of nature. This gave his dad the idea to take Luke camping at Lost Lake where his father had taken him. The problem is that Lost Lake has been found. There were many campers there. Luke's dad decides to go on farther into a wilderness to see if they can find another lake. On the way, Luke and his father talk more, and Luke learns a lot about each other. Will they find a new Lost Lake?
The illustrations, also done by Allen Say, are done in watercolor and are very calm and peaceful as the camping trip seems to be. The pictures seem to add to the story as it becomes more evident that the two are growing closer. I could also recommend to teachers to show the first picture and then the last picture and have students write a story to go with it. I feel that these pictures really show what happened in the story, and it would be interesting to see what stories the students could develop.
I would recommend this story to 1-3rd graders. It is not a very difficult story to read, and it would be a great story to read before a camping trip because it really shows the truth about camping-- it is more relaxing and less exciting (Not that camping isn't exciting, but usually it isn't like an amusement park). It is also a useful story for trying something new. I would also recommend this book students who liked Owl Moon, or to teachers who are teaching Owl Moon. The two books are very similar in their themes.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luke goes to live with his father for the summer, where his relationship with his dad is quite dull. His dad doesn’t talk to him much and Luke became bored very quickly. One day, Luke cut out pictures from magazines and pasted them on his wall. Most of the pictures were of nature, which gave Luke’s father an idea to go on a camping trip. Luke’s father surprises him and takes him to a camping trip at Lost Lake, but there was a problem. Lost Lake had already been found and there were many people already camping there. Luke and his father wander off farther into the wilderness to try and find another lake. Throughout the way, Luke and his father bond more and grow a relationship in which they have never had before. They eventually found their perfect, secluded lake.
The illustrations were realistic oil paintings, which nicely accompanied the text. I also noticed that they were bordered with a thick white border. The illustrations looked realistic and included a lot of nature that was encountered on the trip. I thought that the illustrations were peaceful and greatly suited the story. The text was usually under the illustrations or on the page next to them. This book would be good for children who have divorced parents or wanting to bond closer with their parents. I also think that it gives children an appreciation for the bear necessities and detaches them from the technology world that we live in today. They not only found a lake, but each other, which they had lost in the beginning too.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke has difficulty connecting with his father at home due to his fathers work life. When Luke gets a sudden interest in nature, Luke's father decides to take him for an adventure. The two go out searching for a lake that was special to Luke's father when he was young. The find the lake, but unfortunately it is crowded with people. This upsets Luke's father, but Luke suggests they continue to on looking for a new lake. The two go on a hiking and camping adventure together, and find a hidden lake that they can call their own. They enjoy a beautiful sunset together, and no words need to be spoken.

This is my all time favorite picture book. Luke and his father encountered include different social issues throughout the story. These include, Luke's father over working and not spending enough time with Luke. This was soon fixed by the trip they shared together, I personally feel that nature can connect people in positive ways. They worked together to find the lake, and shared a beautiful adventure together that will never forget. The other social issue they faced is the overpopulation of the earth. Sometimes it really is difficult to get away from people. Luke's father wanted to get away from society and spend time with his son at a special place to him, but this place was soon destroyed from being special once he found out other people knew about it. It was upsetting to Luke's father, but it ended up being a happy ending when they found a new lake that nobody else knew about.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that I believe found its way out of a free library. As such I had never heard of it but I mean who cannot want to find a lost lake?

Instead the book is about a boy who goes to visit his father although that parent doesn't seem to have the time or desire to want to spend with the boy. As a result finally bored out of his mind the boy starts to make a collage of pictures and that is when he is able to reach through to his dad. And unfortunately that is the tone of the story as well.

I love the concept of the book for it reminds me of my own time with my divorced dad and him taking us out since there was no single child in this equation. But instead of making it fun and exciting to read, Allen just gives his readers the very bare minimum. Nothing truly exciting happens and even though the father is reunited with his son in forming a bond it just really isn't there still.

The illustrations are brightly colored when need be and dark in other spots while keeping to a realistic touch. And as such there just may not be enough interest for even younger readers to want to flip through the pages just to look at them since with the exception of the background there is really not much else to see.

And so this makes it quite understandable why this possible nostalgic read just sits on the shelf collecting dust.

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luke spends the summer with his father- who hardly ever notices him. Luke occupies himself by reading old books and magazines and cutting out pictures of mountains and placing them up all the wall, which his father says he is " Just going to paint the wall anyway". Early one morning Luke's father wakes him up with a special surprise.. they are going camping. This is just any camping trip they are in search of a lake dad visited when he was a boy. Only to find when they rediscover the lost lake, it is overcrowded with large families camping and swimming, But dad is determined to find a peaceful lake. Luke and his father encounter bear country and a terrible rainstorm on this journey. Luke and his father also encounter a new relationship and bond along the way to find this lost lake...

Say's Watercolor illustration beautifully capture the sense of loss and discovery. From the beginning readers sympathize with Luke and feel the frustration his has towards his father, and Sympathies with the father when his plans fall apart, and finally readers rejoice when Luke and his Father connect again. Readers also appeal to the search for a childhood dream, every child and adult has there own special Dream. Even when things are lost, they eventually are found again.

[Xiaohui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke was distant from his father, whom he went to live with last summer. “Dad wasn’t much of a talker, but when he was busy he didn’t talk at all. (p. 4)” Knowing nobody in the city, he was as lonely as a child could be. When dad noticed the pictures Luke pinned up on the wall, he planned a weeklong camping with Luke, to find the Lost Lake. “No one’s found it… Grandpa and I used to go there a long time ago. It was a special place. (p. 10)” The trip made dad an “a lot better” different person, who smiled, laughed, and talked more. When they found the original Lost Lake a Found Lake, Dad was determined to find their new Lost Lake special for the two of them. Finally, their dreamscape appeared, “right in front of us.” “Dad didn’t say a word the whole time. But then, I didn’t have anything to say either. (p. 30)” Like Say’s other works, The Lost Lake is a plain and placid story with fine sentiments. Without reading the words, readers can still easily read the same story by Say’s well-designed illustrations. What they found was not only the Lost Lake, but also each other that they had lost.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars I really liked this book. I love to camp! Actually I am dying to camp, but the time off hasn't presented itself and I just want to go!! I am not much of a pack and hike camper, I like rural campgrounds or open areas.


This books is about a dad and son! The son is staying the summer with his dad who works at home all day. The son is bored so he cuts pictures of the outdoors out of magazines.

One morning dads wakes the son up and says they are going camping to find the lost lake that he and he dad use to go to. When they hike there...it has become tourist central (boy I know that feeling) and so they decide to hike on their own path to find another lost lake.

I like the father and son bonding, I love the camping, I loved the explorations element. I like the imagery when it rain but inside their tent they were dry and toasty (I actually love that feeling)

I enjoyed this book! Thanks for the fun!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

While spending his summer with his workaholic father, Luke gets a surprise when his dad plans a camping trip for just the two of them. They end up hiking deed into the mountains when they find that the original “lost lake” is now inhabited by tourists.
The sparsity of details and the dull colors in the illustrations of the father's home create a mood of melancholy and loneliness that echoes the fragile bond between Luke and his father. As father and son trek through the wilderness, the illustrations begin to brighten and the smooth watercolors create a serenity that can only be found in nature. Luke and his father's relationship parallel their journey, for as they walk deeper into the wild, they begin to open up to one another and develop a deeper relationship. Though this story touches on the appreciation of nature, its focus is on the struggle in relationships after divorce and ways to restore that relationship.

[Hailey Phay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke goes to live with his mostly absent father for the summer. While at his dads Luke quickly became bored because he and his father didn’t talk much. To pass time, Luke cut out pictures from magazines (most were of nature). This gave his father the idea to take Luke camping at Lost Lake where his father had taken him. But there’s a problem, Lost Lake has become over run with campers. Luke’s father had an idea to find a new Lost Lake. On their journey, Luke and his father talk more, will they be able to find a new lake? Will Luke and his father become close like real father and son?
The illustrations are beautifully done in watercolor and are very calm ans simple. The pictures seem to grow with the story the story progresses. This adds to the connection that the two are growing closer together.

[Syndi Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little boy’s father is always working and doesn’t spend much time at home. One day, his dad wakes the boy up and both set off to go camping at the lost lake. Once they found the lake, it was full of people and they went away to find a more private spot. They set out to find their own new special spot. The boy learns how to survive in the wilderness like how to fish and how to scare bears away in bear country. The boy and the father seem to start building a relationship now that his father talked more than he did back home. In the end, the boy and his father found their own, new lost lake. The colors are bright and help set the emotions that are portrayed by the text. The pictures show really well the scenery that the characters see on his trip. Overall, this is a great story about a bond between a father and a son.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Lake by Allen Say is a touching story about a father and son who bond while trying to find an untouched piece of nature. I really enjoyed reading this story and seeing how the relationship between the father and son grew. I liked how the son kept encouraging his father to continue to look for a special spot.

The illustrations were bordered with a thick white border, which gave the reader a look into the story. The illustrations were realistic looking and included a lot of landforms and nature that the father and son encountered on their trip. The text was set either under the illustrations or on the opposing page.

[Natalie Sawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost Lake was a story of a boy who goes to visit his father for the summer. He is bored, so he cuts out pictures and puts them on the wall. Those pictures may just have jogged his father's memory, because just as he saw the pictures, he whisks his son off on a camping trip. In search of a lake he used to travel to, the father warms up a bit and begins to enjoy his son's company. As they learn from one another and about one another, the pair find the lake crowded. They search for their own perfect, secluded lake and in finding it, they find and form a closer bond. With realistic, oil paintings to accompany the words, this story leaves nothing to the imagination, but much to the heart.

[Johnny Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. To start with I will say that it stuck with me for years. I remember reading this as a kid and being enthralled by their adventure finding the lake. I loved the idea that if you work just a little harder and move further into the unknown there are still pristine areas left.

As an adult I went back to find this book for my son and realized the message is completely different. Now that I’m a working dad trying to get established the main character felt disappointingly one dimensional. At the end he seems to figure out his son but it felt more depressing for the time lost than a real connection.

[Keely Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Lost Lake, Allen Say tells the story of a Japanese boy who feels disconnected with his father because he is constantly working. To pass the time the boy creates a collage of nature pictures along his wall. This sparks his father’s interest, leading him to plans a week long camping trip. The boy, Luke is extremely excited to be able to spend time with his dad. During their adventure they find the spot is taken up with a lot of people. They decide to search for their own special lake, during their adventure they become much closer and their relationship blossoms.

[Cate Mueller]

A father and son go on a camping trip and take an adventure hiking into the wilderness. The father takes his son where he used to go when he was his son’s age. Many memories were made together due to the discovery of the lost lake. The lost lake, becomes a symbol of the father’s and the sons relationship.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

In today's world, with all the technology and the increasingly dense populations, there aren't many opportunities to get away from it all. Even then, some people are likely to say, "But there's nothing to do here!"

Bottom line: I appreciate a story that shows a father and son who value an isolated spot away from all sign of civilization.

[Judi Paradis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy and his father quietly travel together to a remote lake to camp and be together. Narrated by the boy, who does not where his father is taking him. The actions of the father are powerful and convey much love for the child and the environment. A good book to pair with Owl Moon.

[Lele DeFilippo · Rating 2 out of 5]

the book is horizontal. The inside is a deep blue. the inside has two cover pages. the illustrations had borders and only a few pages did they share room for text. the pictures look like watercolor. they were very pastel in orientation.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me feel so sad; I love Say's artwork--as always--but something about the relationship between the boy & his father, or nature being spoiled, or I'm not sure what really made me feel lost myself.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son and Dad go camping in the mountains. Son sees a new side of his dad. Dad sees more depth in the son. They have a forever memory. Very good watercolor illustrations by Allen Say.
Grade 1-4

[Lisbeth Solberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The dialog was stilted and some of the watercolors should be closer or something; the images have a too-small feel overall. Love his Grandfather's Journey, but this was a disappointment.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Realistic fiction
Copyright: 1989
Thoughts: Good story about a man and his son searching for a secluded lake and a way to talk to each other.

[Buxmont Uu]

WAMWAO Session 11

[Kerstin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was a little ridiculous. It was a journal entry not a children's book.

[Edna]

Though I read and re-read this book countless times when I was quite young. Great childhood Memory :)

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story with attractive illustrations about how a father and son bonded (for the first time, maybe?) over a nature experience.

[Mor · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don't read this book yet but i think is good