Morning on the Lake - Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Morning on the Lake is a children's book by Ojibwe writer and storyteller Jan Bourdeau Waboose. This story is told in three sections: morning, noon and night.

A young Ojibwe boy and his Mishoomis (grandfather) experience nature in an all day journey that begins in the morning on a lake and ends with a walk in the woods during the night. The events are told in the first person by the young boy, Noshen (grandchild).

Readers experience canoeing on a lake in early morning, watching a family of loons, climbing rocks in the afternoon, seeing an eagle fly past, and walking through a field of sweetgrass. The final event takes place during the night. Mishoomis and Noshen walk through the woods and come across and pack of timber wolves. Each event is told in a straight-forward manner so that the reader experiences the young boy's excitement and awe.

Throughout the story, the author makes passing references to Ojibwe culture and spirituality. The only slip is the reference to the star constellation known generally as the Big Dipper. Unfortunately Mishoomis does not tell his grandson that in Ojibwe teachings this constellation is connected to the fisher. Adults may want to read this book in three sections for younger children.

This book is a gentle story about the love between generations, traditional teaching methods, and First Nations' respect for the environment.