Review Detail

Salmon Run: An epic journey to the ocean and back is a beautiful breathtaking book on the life of a Coho salmon and her life cycle.

We follow the entire life cycle of a pacific salmon, more specifically the Coho salmon. From egg to smolt to a spawning adult, we see how they grow and follow their journey from the river they come from to the wide open ocean and back again. The text is written easy enough, that one can figure out the meaning of a word if its unfamiliar. I really like how there is a time span for each part of the life cycle, making Salmon Run a great read for fish lovers wanting to learn more about this specific species.

The illustrations are beautiful. They coincide with the text very well, bringing the authors descriptions of the Coho to life. It was fun to not only read about life cycle, but to SEE it.

In the backmatter, readers will find an authors note as well as a more straight forward timeline of the salmon life cycle. Readers will also find a QR code, or website address, that links you to a page with more educational resources, such as a glossary and what it means to be a keystone species.


This keystone species of fish makes an incredible journey throughout their lives, and Salmon Run does a wonderful job of highlighting what makes them so special. Perfect for budding biologist or fish lovers!