Celebrate National Go Birding Day with Lynn Street - PLUS Book Giveaway!

Hi, readers, writers, and bird watchers, too! It's the last Saturday in April which means it's National Go Birding Day! And what better way to celebrate than with debut author, Lynn Street, and her inspiring new book, The Blue Jays That Grew A Forest! Most of us know about the mighty oak tree, and how important oaks are as a keystone species. But we may be less aware of the role that blue jays play in assisting the expansion of oak tree forests. Covering one full year from season to season, Lynn's new book takes us through the habits of the blue jays and everything they do to help expand oak tree forests. Want to know more about Lynn and her exciting new book PLUS want a chance to win a copy of your own? Read on...

Q: Hi, Lynn! Thanks for joining #SeasonsOfKidLit! We’re thrilled to feature you and hear all about your debut book, THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST.

Can you share a little bit about yourself and your path to becoming a kid lit writer? What surprised you most in your journey to publication?

A: I loved reading as a kid. I believed a picture book was written with me in mind, even if the author penned it before I was born! Books are magical that way. When we read a great story, it feels as if an author is speaking directly to us.

I had my first publication at age twelve, a letter to “Everybuggy” in Cricket Magazine! I wrote poetry and essays for contests throughout high school and studied creative writing in graduate school. In 2016, I began taking classes in crafting picture books.

What surprises me about this industry is the learning curve for telling a story in 32 pages–and how many steps are involved in the publishing process. It’s not quick! Now that I’ve made it through writing and revising this debut title, I understand why the process takes years. 

Q: Many of us know how important oaks are as a keystone species. But we may be less aware of the role that blue jays play in assisting the expansion of oak tree forests. Your book touches on these important facts in a way that’s entertaining for kids. Can you share more about your book and what inspired you to write it? 

A: This nonfiction picture book was inspired by a photo of a jay holding an acorn in its beak. Blue jays are a favorite bird, but I did not know that they ate or planted acorns that might grow into oaks. Blue jays are a keystone species, too. I was amazed that blue jays can alter a landscape, over time, based on where they bury their acorns and how many they hide. I wanted to investigate this process and share it with readers. The back matter gives more information about the role of jays in growing forests. 

Q:  What is your favorite spread from the book and why? 

A: There’s a spread halfway through the book that shows the landscape in winter, with acorns buried under the snow. The reader can see what’s happening above and below the snowline, and the blue and white of the sky and snow and the blue and white of the jays’ plumage echo each other in a lovely way. This spread also suggests the passage of time, and how jays may return to these buried nuts as a food source to survive the winter. 

Thanks for sharing! We can't WAIT to check it out. Readers, take a peek at some of the beautiful art created by Anne Hunter.

Q: What kind of research went into your book and what tips do you have for incorporating STEM facts in your story? 

A: I started by doing a lot of reading. Also, I spent months observing several blue jays that visited my yard. I have a pin oak next door, and in 2021 and 2023 it produced acorns. Catching blue jays in the canopy of this oak gathering acorns was tricky, because the process happened so fast. In addition to reading and observation, I did a deep dive into academic research and interviewed blue jay scientists. 

One tip about including STEM facts is they serve as a framework for the narrative, but they aren’t the whole story. The illustrations carry so much weight in this particular text, showing the behavior of blue jays as the seasons change. Many of the quantitative facts, such as oaks producing a million acorns during their lifespan, are included in the back matter rather than the main text.

Q: What do you hope readers of all ages will take away from your story? What makes it a perfect addition to any school, home, or public library? 

A: I hope this book will spark readers to observe the birds in their neighborhoods. What are birds eating? Where are they nesting? Can readers spot a blue jay? Blue jays have a wide range over the eastern and central US, and other jay species populate the western states. This nut-burying activity is going on all around us!

It would also be fabulous if kids could plant some oak trees in their communities. Oaks support a greater variety of caterpillars than any other native tree. And songbirds, like blue jays, need this source of protein to feed their young. 

This picture book will appeal to kids and adults who love birds, trees, fall, collecting acorns, or who enjoy reading about life cycles and the interdependence of species in nature. 

Q: BONUS QUESTION: What is your favorite bird and why (I'm guessing blue jays, of course, lol!)? What advice do you have for those interested in observing birds? 

A: The blue jay is my favorite bird! There are field guides and apps for identifying birds. But the best thing to do is to go outside and find a good spot–in your yard, in a park–to watch for birds. Birds will flit from tree to tree or forage on the ground for food. What birds do you see? What colors are their feathers? What sounds are they making? The blue jay has several calls. One is a loud jeer, jeer. Other times, it can mimic a red-shouldered hawk. A cardinal makes a chip, chip call.

If you put up bird feeders or a bird bath, the birds will come to you. You will have the advantage of seeing birds up close. No binoculars needed!

Q: Would you like to leave a Tip or a Treat for our readers?

Both!

As a Tip:  If you’d like to feed blue jays in your yard or school, they do well with a tray feeder. The tray is about the size of an 8 ½ x 11 inch sheet of paper. It can hang from a tree branch or a shepherd’s hook. Blue jays are larger songbirds, and they love sunflower seeds and raw peanuts (unsalted) in the shell or out of the shell. You may find cardinals, finches, mourning doves, several species of woodpeckers, and other birds will stop by the tray feeder, too. 

And as a Treat: I’m happy to give away a copy of THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST when it comes out in August, 2025. Readers in the US and Canada are eligible. 

WOW! Thanks for such a spectacular Tip & Treat. And thanks SO much for stopping by. We had so much fun getting to know more about you and your new book.

Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter to win Lynn's amazing giveaway, 1) share this post on social media and 2) leave a comment below to thank her for stopping by! Bird pictures and GIFs are definitely appreciated, too.

Giveaway winners will be drawn and announced on or about 5/10!

Books will be shipped in the US & Canada only.

About Lynn Street:

Lynn is a science-inspired author sharing lively STEAM stories with young readers. She loves concepts that cross disciplines, and personal narratives set against a sea of facts. Her passion is writing for curious observers who want to discover the wonders of their world.

Her debut, THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST (Peachtree, 2025), is illustrated by Anne Hunter. This lyrical nonfiction picture book explores the symbiotic relationship between blue jays and oak trees.

PLEASE, NO FEATHERS IN YOUR HATS! FLORENCE MERRIAM BAILEY AND BIRDWATCHING’S BEGINNINGS (Peachtree, 2027), illustrated by Anne Lambelet, is a picture book biography about the author of the first modern birding guide, who helped save millions of her feathered friends by changing the way people thought about and studied birds.

Lynn’s writing celebrates nature and invites readers to slow down and explore, to become budding naturalists and citizen scientists. On daily walks in the woods, she challenges herself to spot five new things—a hungry hawk, leaf buds, lichen, a spotted fawn, or a fallen tree. Lynn uses drawing and journaling to engage with the world, and she believes a connection to nature is the key to caring for the environment and to joy. She volunteers for nature organizations and is dedicated to environmental education and integrating art, science, writing, and nature for kids. Lynn earned an MFA in poetry from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and enjoys bringing lyrical language to life.

For more about Lynn or to pre-order her book, check out the below links:

Website:  lynnstreetbooks.com

Pre-Order Links:

Little Shop of Stories:  https://littleshopofstories.com/book/9781682636046

Bookshop.org:  https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-blue-jays-that-grew-a-forest-lynn-street/f5ffd470e565f193?ean=9781682636046&next=t&

Barnes and Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-blue-jays-that-grew-a-forest-lynn-street/1146518529?ean=9781682636046

Amazon:  https://shorturl.at/8Di0N

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