Salmon Run: An Epic Journey to the Ocean and Back

Chen charts 1,450 days of a coho salmon’s life in this eye-opening picture book. On day one, a Pacific salmon “begins her life in the cool waters of the Duwamish River,” and ensuing pages detail the numerous changes the fish undergoes, from “tiny orange egg, smaller than a pea!” to fry drawn to journeying oceanward before adapting for a saltwater environment. When she eventually navigates back to her birth site to lay eggs, she takes on the red and green hues for which salmon are known. Concise narration paints a spare but incredible scientific story; watercolors have the translucent feel of sun prints, even as they offer realistic renderings of watery settings. An author’s note and more conclude. Ages 5–8. (Nov.)