Published by Highwater Press
Summary: The life of a sockeye salmon is described from the time she hatches from an egg until she returns to the same spawning ground two years later to lay her eggs before dying. The sockeyes’ connection to the Gitxsan, indigenous people of British Columbia, is alluded to, as well as the reverence these people have for the fish that help sustain them. The balance of nature is also described in a section called “A Replenishing Death”, when the salmon’s body becomes fertilizer for the flora in and around the water. 32 pages; grades 2-6.
Pros: The author grew up in the Gitxsan Nation and imparts both scientific and cultural information in this brief story of a sockeye salmon. The close-up illustrations vividly bring to life the different stages of the fish’s life, as well as the people and animals around her.
Cons: This may not be a book many kids will pick up on their own, but with some guidance, they will find it an interesting resource.
