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The Sockeye Mother

“There’s a strong undertow today. The turbulent waters caress the backs of the little semelparous life forms emerging from their gravel nests.” The life cycle of the sockeye salmon, a keystone species in the Xsan (“River of Mist”) region of the Pacific Northwest, unfolds in a language-rich narrative that delivers science with poetic grace. The importance of the salmon to life in the region, including the life of the Gitxsan people, is at the heart of this account written by Gitxsan author Huson. Occasional scientific terms used in the narrative are footnoted and defined in boxes set into the gorgeous illustrations reminiscent of woodcuts created by Métis artist Donovan (e.g., “Semelparous means ‘breeding only once in a lifetime.’”) Gitxsan words and terms such as “Xsan” are defined within the narrative. A note about the Gitxsan Nation tells more about its location (the Xsan is “also known by its colonial name the Skeena River”) and matrilineal culture. ©2017 Cooperative Children's Book Center

Illustrated by Natasha Donovan

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-13
Age Range: Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Animals (Informational) First/Native Nations Gitxsan People Life Cycle
Diversity subject: Indigenous

Publisher: HighWater
Publish Year: 2017
Pages: 24
ISBN: 9781553797395

CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 597 Huson

The Sockeye Mother