THE SOCKEYE MOTHER

The Sockeye Mother by Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) and Natasha Donovan is a graphically stunning book about the Gitxsan people of Northwestern British Columbia and the importance of the sockeye salmon to almost every aspect of their lives.

Located in Northwestern British Columbia, The Gitxsan people rely heavily on the life cycle of the sockeye salmon in all its forms. They serve as food, yes, but the salmon also nourish the very land they live on, including the Skeena River which runs directly through their home.

It's almost hard to even think about the text when you have such beautiful illustrations on every page! Donovan, a debut illustrator, is a master of linework, using black inks not just for shadows but for entire entities like the flowing water. Of course, that means she's also super adept at using white space, whether that be for the sky, narrative boxes, or even the wavy lines of the water. Every part of her illustrations has its own distinct space, and Donovan doesn't shy away from using a wealth of colors to create visual connections between the animals on the page and the imagery of the Gitxsan people. Complete with a map of the Gitxsan Nation, readers are sure to learn and retain loads of information from this book. 

The Sockeye Mother published in February from Highwater Press.

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