All his life, Chang has not been able to speak. The only sounds he can make are the squawks and caws of the cormorants his father trains for fishing. Chang loves the birds, and is thrilled when he is finally old enough to help raise a cormorant chick. But this is more challenging than Chang expects, for in the process he must learn hard lessons about untrustworthy friends and what it really means to prove himself.

Elizabeth Starr Hill's poignant story, set on the Li River in southern China, is accompanied by the evocative illustrations of Taiwanese artist Lesley Liu.