First Salmon - Hardcover

Jim has lived in Alaska for thirty years. Besides illustrating children's books, he also paints and exhibits plein-air landscapes. He won the Christopher Award in 1995 for I'll See You When the Moon Is Full, written by his wife, Susi Gregg Fowler.

Grade 2-5–First Salmon is a ceremony celebrated by Pacific Northwest tribes as a way of honoring the fish that sustain life for their people. While Charlie watches the event, he remembers his beloved Uncle Joe, who recently passed away, thinking that it's just not the same without him, and he recalls the special moments they shared. By the story's end, he realizes that death is a part of the cycle of nature, and that as long as he has his memories of his uncle, Joe will always be a part of him. Salonen lovingly details the celebration, and Fowler's presentation of modern Native peoples participating in an ancient tradition are images that children need to see. However, there are a few problems. When Charlie begins to think back on time spent with Joe, youngsters must read carefully to realize that these are flashbacks. While Fowler's broad paint strokes work well on nature and far-off group scenes, his close-ups of humans are less successful, and his illustrations of Charlie are inconsistent. Still, this is a respectful treatment of the subject. Libraries in the Pacific Northwest will want this title, and classes anywhere studying Native peoples could certainly benefit from this careful depiction of tradition.–Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada
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