The brief life of Sumi, a coho salmon, is the subject of this lyrical picture book. All phases of Sumi's life are shown, from her trip downriver to the ocean; to her time as a mature fish swimming in the great seas; to the most mysterious period in her life cycle, the determined return against great obstacles to the remote creak of her birthplace. Thousands of people come to witness the last great moments in the lives of salmon because it is such a moving and interesting phenomenon. Annette LeBox's poetic text and Karen Reczuch's shimmering illustrations offer young readers a lesson in ecology and a touching story of the natural world.