On the Trapline marks several milestones for me: my first picture book in over a decade (and my first advance copy of one), and my first time reading the words of David Alexander Robertson, an Indigenous graphic novelist and writer from Winnipeg and of Swampy Cree heritage. (Also: my first time being exposed to the work of Julie Flett, a Cree-Métis author and illustrator from Toronto!)

The story within these pages is moving and incredibly beautiful. Coupled with the gorgeous illustrations by Flett, I had goosebumps as I read.

In one instance, Moshom—the narrator’s grandfather—shows his grandson the building that housed the residential school he attended as a child. The illustration for this scene captures three uniform-clad Cree kids in a forest of young trees. Then you flip to the next page, and it’s the exact same spot, only many years later: the trees have grown and broadened, and Moshom and his friend are now white-haired, sitting alongside Moshom’s grandson.

On each page, the book presents a different Cree word that relates to the scene and the story. This book was only 40 pages, and I savoured every single one. By the end, I was suffused with an unshakable sense of serenity and wonder.

This is the sort of book that I know will be staple in my future kid’s library. I highly, highly recommend On the Trapline—to children and youth, but also adults, too.

That was an amazing story! I think brings up some points kids could maybe investigate: Indian schools, Cree culture, living off the land, through foraging a, huntin, and fishing. I also liked the younger and older generation sharing time together. It's importnt for children to pend time with elders. The illustrations were nice; not to complicated.

This is a great story about family. I really appreciated the comparisons and contrasts to the past and future. I told my kids about the book after a lesson on representation in media of all kinds including books. They were so excited to read this book when it comes out.

A lovely picture book that teaches children about a native area of Canada, where families lived and hunted on their trapline. The illustrations are fun and creative. Each page gives the reader a new word to think about from the Swampy Cree language.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest opinion.

Beautiful picture book that follows a young Cree boy on a trip with his grandfather to his trapline and childhood home. The story weaves Cree words with English narrative and can serve as an introduction to discussions about traditional ways of life, increasing urbanism, and cultural values.

This is a sweet book, a bit akin to "When we were alone" one of the other pictures books by this author that explores memories and culture. In the Cree tradition, you went out and hunted in the summer on the trapline. The trapline is far from where the boy and his Moshom (his grandfather) now live. The grandfather has not been back for many years, but he still remembers how to get to that special place.

Through this simple journey, we learn Cree words, and we see the world that his grandfather left behind.

Slow and sweet, and poignant. Sad, and happy at the same time. A taste of what life was like, amongst the Swampy Cree.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

On the Trapline is a beautiful story following a boy and his grandfather as they return to a special hunting spot his grandfather used to frequent. It's sprinkled with Cree words and definitions that my pre-schooler and I practiced. This book is over the head of my young son, but would be excellent for an elementary age child. Or, honestly, I enjoyed it as an adult.

The illustrations are realistic but artsy and inspiring. The story is structured well, beautiful, and wonderfully paced. It has that dreamy sense of nostalgia as we see a loving grandfather through the eyes of a child, and also, as the adult, I could see the child and the places through the eyes of the grandfather. It's a stunning story.

Aside from its beauty, it's a story with lessons to teach. I enjoyed taking a little step into another culture and place, taking a glimpse into the past.

Thank you Tundra Books and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This is a beautiful book, conveying the warmth, curiosity, and easy stillness that can exist in a relationship between a child and their grandparent. The simple story shows the healing power of returning to the place one first felt home and belonging, and sharing the stories with another. The spare text honors the act of remembering one's connectedness to land and history through the child's wonder at natural beauty, in the addition of Cree words and their meanings, and in the inclusion of the child and his grandfather at the community feast at the close of their visit.

Illustrations by Julie Flett invite the reader to pause and breathe, leaving room for conversation with young hearers about where they might find themselves in this story and what do they wonder about?