Indigenous artist and storyteller Andrea Fritz tells a tale of a salmon and a sea otter who learn it's ok to say "I don't know" and to ask for help.

Thuqi’ the sockeye salmon knows it’s time to spawn, but she is lost in the Salish Sea and doesn't know the way to Sta'lo’, the river. When she asks Tumus the sea otter for help, he doesn’t exactly know either, and he dismisses her questions. But when Tumus becomes lost in some weeds, Thuqi’ shows him that it’s okay not to know something—you can still find a way to help a friend in need.

In this original story set in Coast Salish Traditional Territory, author and artist Andrea Fritz uses Indigenous storytelling techniques and art to share the culture and language of the Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking Peoples.

Andrea Fritz is a Coast Salish artist and storyteller from the Lyackson First Nation of the Hul’q'umi’num'-speaking Peoples on the West Coast of Canada. She studied West Coast Native art with Victor Newman, a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw master artist. Andrea strives to express her People’s history and all our futures using her art and stories. She focuses on animals and places of the West Coast and our intricate relationships with them. Andrea works in the mediums of acrylic on canvas and wood, serigraph, vector art and multimedia. She has had numerous gallery shows of her work and participates in community-based art pieces. Andrea lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Andrea Fritz's profile page

“Fritz (Lyackson First Nation) has crafted a heartwarming tale that encourages readers to persevere despite uncertainty…A gem of Coast Salish storytelling”

Kirkus Reviews

“A welcome contribution to the shelves of First Nations literature, as well as a starting point for learning more about Coast Salish art and traditional storytelling techniques.”

School Library Journal