Salmon Creek — Annette Lebox

One of the most fascinating stories in nature is the life cycle of the Pacific salmon. This lyrical, beautiful non-fiction picture book tells the story of one coho, Sumi, from her birth in a remote creek, to her final hours when she spawns and then dies.
All phases of Sumi's life are shown from her trip down river to the ocean; her time as a fully mature fish swimming in the great seas; to the most fascinating and mysterious period in the life cycle of these magic animals, the determined return against great obstacles to her birthplace.
Many thousands of people come to witness these last great moments in the lives of salmon because it is such a moving and interesting phenomenon. As wild salmon become rarer due to our exploitation of their environment and the consequent destruction of their habitat, as well as of our abusive over-fishing practices, their story engages us more than ever. This book is a plea for protection of salmon and of the natural world which they inhabit. An afterward presents the factual basis for the book and amplifies on the poetic text.