When enough of California’s naturally flowing water is dammed and redirected for agricultural use, waterways are left with insufficient flow to sustain salmon runs, and the detrimental impact of this practice extends beyond the scope of salmon welfare. As a volunteer for the Golden State Salmon Association and an advocate for sustainable water use in California, I found myself struggling to explain to friends and colleagues in a concise manner why I do this work. The story the peril salmon face is a complicated one involving biology, ecology, inter-district policy, and riparian politics. Salmon Need Our Help was my solution to this problem. By analyzing the language and graphics of educational children’s literature, I was able to outline and structure my “salmon story” into a more concise and digestible format. While written for children aged 7-10, it is designed to be enticing and educational to people of all ages.