Climate Literacy in Education

My Friend, The Lake

Christina Randazzo

University of Cambridge

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/cle.v2i2.5757

Keywords: Lake Erie, Ecomedia, Friendship, Environmental Stewardship, Early Childhood Education, Water

Abstract

In My Friend, The Lake, readers are introduced to Lake Erie as a cherished friend of the narrator. In the story, young readers are introduced to the colorful wonders of the world around them and to the importance of caring for the environment. Throughout the book, Lake Erie is gently anthropomorphized, emphasizing to the audience that she is a complex living entity rather than an inanimate body of water.
The story highlights the beauty of Lake Erie while also drawing attention to her role in providing essential resources to those who depend on her, including fresh drinking water, food, and a home for many different species of wildlife. However, Lake Erie also faces challenges, such as toxic algae blooms, which the narrator and the audience confront together in the story. Through the narrator’s journey, readers are invited to reconsider how they engage with the natural world. They are encouraged to become stewards of the environment and are encouraged to take action by being a voice for their local environments.