On the Trapline

Illustrated by Julie Flett
Look inside
Hardcover
$18.99 US
On sale May 04, 2021 | 48 Pages | 978-0-7352-6668-1
A picture book celebrating Indigenous culture and traditions. The Governor General Award--winning team behind When We Were Alone shares a story that honors our connections to our past and our grandfathers and fathers.

WINNER OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD

A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning to Moshom. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. As they embark on their northern journey, the child repeatedly asks his grandfather, "Is this your trapline?" Along the way, the boy finds himself imagining what life was like two generations ago -- a life that appears to be both different from and similar to his life now. This is a heartfelt story about memory, imagination and intergenerational connection that perfectly captures the experience of a young child's wonder as he is introduced to places and stories that hold meaning for his family.
  • WINNER | 2022
    TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Governor General's Literary Awards - Children's Literature - Illustration
  • AWARD
    Chocolate Lily Award
  • NOMINEE | 2023
    Chocolate Lily Award
  • SHORTLIST | 2022
    Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards
  • SHORTLIST | 2022
    Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
  • LONGLIST | 2022
    First Nations Communities Read Award
  • FINALIST | 2022
    Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • NOMINEE | 2022
    Shining Willow Award
  • SHORTLIST | 2021
    OLA Best Bets for Picture Books
DAVID A. ROBERTSON is the author of numerous books for young readers, including Governor General's Literary Award winners On the Trapline and When We Were Alone. The Barren Grounds, the first book in the middle-grade Misewa Saga series, was shortlisted for many awards, including the Govenor General's Award, the TD Award for Children's Literature, and the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Award. It received a starred review from Kirkus and was a Kirkus, NPR, and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, as well as a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection. The Great Bear, the second book in the series, was also shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Award. The third book in the series, The Stone Child, won the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award and was nominated for the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Award. A sought-after speaker and educator, and winner of the Writers' Union of Canada's Freedom to Read Award, Dave is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg. View titles by David A. Robertson

About

A picture book celebrating Indigenous culture and traditions. The Governor General Award--winning team behind When We Were Alone shares a story that honors our connections to our past and our grandfathers and fathers.

WINNER OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD

A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning to Moshom. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. As they embark on their northern journey, the child repeatedly asks his grandfather, "Is this your trapline?" Along the way, the boy finds himself imagining what life was like two generations ago -- a life that appears to be both different from and similar to his life now. This is a heartfelt story about memory, imagination and intergenerational connection that perfectly captures the experience of a young child's wonder as he is introduced to places and stories that hold meaning for his family.

Awards

  • WINNER | 2022
    TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Governor General's Literary Awards - Children's Literature - Illustration
  • AWARD
    Chocolate Lily Award
  • NOMINEE | 2023
    Chocolate Lily Award
  • SHORTLIST | 2022
    Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards
  • SHORTLIST | 2022
    Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
  • LONGLIST | 2022
    First Nations Communities Read Award
  • FINALIST | 2022
    Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • NOMINEE | 2022
    Shining Willow Award
  • SHORTLIST | 2021
    OLA Best Bets for Picture Books

Author

DAVID A. ROBERTSON is the author of numerous books for young readers, including Governor General's Literary Award winners On the Trapline and When We Were Alone. The Barren Grounds, the first book in the middle-grade Misewa Saga series, was shortlisted for many awards, including the Govenor General's Award, the TD Award for Children's Literature, and the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Award. It received a starred review from Kirkus and was a Kirkus, NPR, and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, as well as a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection. The Great Bear, the second book in the series, was also shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Award. The third book in the series, The Stone Child, won the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award and was nominated for the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Award. A sought-after speaker and educator, and winner of the Writers' Union of Canada's Freedom to Read Award, Dave is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg. View titles by David A. Robertson

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