Sunrise Summer

Gr 1-2–This husband-and-wife team tell a tale based on their family’s experiences visiting Alaska. Each year their family of six flies 4,000 miles from their home to go salmon fishing. At last, the unnamed daughter is old enough to join the crew and not simply sit on the sidelines watching them do their work. It’s a hard, messy business in windy, wet weather but the girl is excited to be part of the operation. Upon arrival, the family repairs their cabin, outhouse, and fishing nets in readiness for the season to get underway. Detailed and vibrant illustrations are crafted with pen, ink, gouache, and digital collage. The images come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and show the family keeping busy until the radio announcer states: “The salmon are coming.” Then the hard work really begins, and readers are shown an almost step-by-step sequence of events that are necessary for netting the sockeye salmon. Four pages at the end of the book give more information on the annual family trek.