Salmon's Journey and More Northwest Coast Stories

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at the University of Victoria. She is the
co-author of Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary
Classroom.

Challenger’s fourth collection of short stories contains 21
single-page stories. All of the stories deal with important moral
issues, such as the danger of judging others by their appearance, the
importance of perseverance, the opportunity for learning provided by
each new day, and the reciprocity of good deeds. Many of the stories
feature animals (snow bear, sea otter, coyote, wolf), birds (eagle,
seagull), or some water-dwelling creature (salmon, hermit crab,
jellyfish). In several stories, Challenger uses grandparents as
archetypal teachers who impart wisdom to a younger generation.

The author is a strong enthusiast of historic First Nation and Native
American art. He is a well-known carver, and his admiration for
Aboriginal art is evident in his Haida-style illustrations accompanying
each story. The subject of each story is depicted in a striking black,
white, and red design.

Challenger seems to be trying to emulate the oral traditions of First
Nation people in his prose. In general, however, the stories
communicating the messages about valuing self, family, community, and
nature are overly didactic, and in some cases they even seem contrived
in order to deliver “a message.” Not a first-choice purchase.