On the Trapline

Author David A. Robertson On Tour
Illustrated by Julie Flett
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
On sale May 04, 2021 | 48 Pages | 9780735266681

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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
  • SELECTION | 2025
    BRAW Amazing Bookshelf
  • 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
© Amber Green
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, Book 1 of The Misewa Saga series, was a Kirkus, NPR, and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, as well as a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection. Winner of the Writers’ Union of Canada’s Freedom to Read Award, as well as the 2021 Globe and Mail Children’s Storyteller of the Year recipient, Dave is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg, Canada. For more information, visit his website: www.darobertson.ca and follow him on X: @DaveAlexRoberts. 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
  • SELECTION | 2025
    BRAW Amazing Bookshelf
  • 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

© Amber Green
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, Book 1 of The Misewa Saga series, was a Kirkus, NPR, and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, as well as a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection. Winner of the Writers’ Union of Canada’s Freedom to Read Award, as well as the 2021 Globe and Mail Children’s Storyteller of the Year recipient, Dave is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg, Canada. For more information, visit his website: www.darobertson.ca and follow him on X: @DaveAlexRoberts. View titles by David A. Robertson