Our Lake: (A Caldecott Honor Book) [Hardcover]

CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK • A tender and vulnerable exploration of love and loss that follows two boys as they take their first trip back to the lake without their father, from debut author-illustrator Angie Kang.

Today, Brother is taking me up to swim in the lake like Father used to.

I want to thank him for bringing us here, but I can’t find the words.
Instead, I loop my arms around his torso, and he does the same back.

Here, in our lake, the water holds us close.

On a sweltering hot day, a little boy mirrors his brother as he takes off his shirt, stretches, and walks toward the edge of the tall rock, ready to dive into the cool lake waters glistening below. Only this time, Father is not here. And the water looks so far away. How can he take the plunge?

With a gorgeous, deft touch in her exquisitely soft illustrations and words, Angie Kang conveys vulnerability, longing, and connection as these two boys hear Father’s laugh and see his memory all around them, uniting them in a bittersweet moment.Praise for Our Lake by Angie Kang; illustrated by Angie Kang:

A 2026 Randolph Caldecott Honor Book
A 2026 Charlotte Zolotow Award
The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show selection (The Dilys Evans Founder's Award)
An ALSC 2026 Notable Children’s Book (All Ages category)
A 2026 Comstock Read Aloud Book Award Honor Winner
A Bank Street Best Children's Books of 2026
A 2026 Golden Kite Award finalist (Picture Book Illustration category)
A 2025 Chinese Children's Book Festival Golden Pinwheel People's Choice Award
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Publisher's Weekly, Evanston Public Library, School LibrarlS{