Going nuts for books about acorns and their trees

Themes: trees, growth, nature … and, of course, acorns!

Back in 2020, author Barbara Ciletti and illustrator Cathy Morrison teamed up on The Tiny Giant, a story about how tiny acorns grow into mighty oaks. Now they’ve got a board book coming out in a couple weeks – with text beautifully revised to perfectly suit this new format. 

The Tiniest Giant (board book)

by Barbara Ciletti; illus. by Cathy Morrison 

20 pages; ages baby-3 years

‎Schiffer Kids, 2025 

Greatness begins in the tiniest places.

It always amazes me that seeds contain within them entire plants. I mean … pumpkins! And trees! This summer I watched acorns form on the oak shading our driveway and they start of so small – just a bunch of buttons hanging onto a twig. And I ask the same thing Barbara does in her book, “Is there a tree inside?”

What I like about this book: I like how the simple, yet not simplistic, text works with the illustrations to show the seasons of an oak tree’s life. The acorns ripen, and then “Seeds drop.” Simple language, right? But using the word “seed” for acorn helps build the expectation of future growth. Illustrations show the acorn sinking beneath the snow and, in the spring, germinating into a sturdy seedling. 

Oh, and do you notice anything about this first spread? If you said "book turn," you're right. You have to turn the book so you get this nice verticality of the tall, tall oak tree. Review copy provided by the publisher.

 

Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem 

by Henry Cole 

48 pages; ages 4-8

‎Peachtree, 2025 

Sometimes things happen by chance. A blue jay drops an acorn, and a tree’s life begins.

With luck, and enough sunlight and rain, that acorn germinates and grows into a seedling. A year later it has become a sapling. Over the years, the tree grows taller and provides nesting spots for birds. The leaves provide food for caterpillars which, in turn, provide food for songbirds. When they die and fall to earth, the leaves provide food for worms and other decomposers. Over time, people move into the area and what was once a forest becomes a town. Still the oak thrives.

What I like about this book: It seems such a simple thing, an acorn growing into an oak. But as the tree grows and ages, Henry Cole’s detailed black-and-white illustrations show the important role it plays in the ecological community around it. I like that Cole provides information visually, for those who want to look more carefully at details. At the back, he shows how to build an ecosystem in four easy steps. Cole writes and draws with the authority of someone who has studied trees and forests. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Looking for some fun fall read-alouds? Here are a couple more acorn-related stories that I found at my library:  

Acorn Was a Little Wild 

by Jen Arena; illustrated by Jessica Gibson 

‎Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022

Imagine an acorn – the first of his generation – leaping from the tree and heading off for a wild adventure. There are ferocious animals! Raging streams! Dark places…. but eventually, like every wild child, acorn puts down roots.

The Nut That Fell from the Tree 

by Sangeeta Bhadra; illustrated by France Cormier 

Kids Can Press, 2020

You can tell from the title that this is a cumulative tale infused with the rhythm and rhyme of the House that Jack Built. It begins with a treehouse where Jill plays … a tiny house tucked into the branches of an oak, from which an acorn drops and – I’m going to let you imagine the possibilities, but seriously, check it out and read it because it’s plain fun.

Beyond the Books:

Make some handprint acorns. Even one-year-olds will get into painting their hands and making a print! Here's how. 

Use mini-cookies and chocolate kisses to make edible acorns (this recipe uses peanut butter cookies – but for those of us with allergies we can find non-peanut alternatives!)

For older people: make a whistle using an acorn cap. I have yet to master this! Here's how.

Plant an acorn (or two or three) in a pot and leave it outside or on an unheated porch all winter. You might get a baby oak sprouting in the spring!

Get to know an oak tree. Collect some leaves and make some leaf prints. Do bark rubbing. Lay down underneath it and look up – what do you notice?

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher. Picture books from my local library.

Explore Outdoors ~ one last look at garden spiders

 My garden is a great habitat for spiders. I pile dried grass and straw on the beds to help keep them from drying out - and spiders love to hide in the mulch. I grow flowers between the tomatoes and peppers, and spiders love the web-building opportunities tall stems provide. And some plants have big leaves that create a shade for spiders looking for hiding spots. Here are a couple end-of-season spider pictures.

 

 

Some animals are Just Plain Rude!

 

So Rude!: Animals Behaving Badly 

by Jessica Fries-Gaither

32 pages; ages 4-9

Millbrook Press, 2025

theme: animal behavior, nonfiction, STEM

You’ve heard grown-ups say it again and again. Mind your manners. 

Be polite. 

Be on your best behavior.

Good advice for humans. Maybe not so much for animals, says Jessica Fries-Gaither. Because for some animals, what we think of as “bad manners” is just a way of life. For example, some animals don’t “tell the truth.” They use deceit to capture prey, disguises to hide from predators, and fake their own death to get out of … mostly getting eaten.

What I like about this book: Jam-packed with bad behavior – cowbirds cheat, crows call out fake news, and vultures poop on their feet – and filled with photos, this book is a fun tour of how animals use rudeness to survive. Or at least what looks like rudeness to us. Each example reminds us to not judge other animals by our standards (or lack thereof). There is back matter, with more information about animal behavior, a glossary, and list of resources for further reading. 

Jessica is one of my critique partners, and I watched this book “grow up” from outline to draft to revision to … yay! It’s a book! And in all that time I never asked her this One Question:

Me: What made you want to write this book? Were you inspired by behaviors you saw in the school lunchroom? Or, was this something you wanted to write for your students for any particular reason?

 

photo by Kollmer Photography

Jessica: I can't point to a specific incident that made me want to write this book! But we spend a good amount of time in my elementary science classes talking about animal behaviors and how we can't necessarily interpret them through the lens of human behaviors and norms. At some point I thought it could be a fun and funny window for kids into learning about animal behavior.

Beyond the Books:

Watch for backyard bullies at your bird feeder this winter! Which birds take over the feeder and scare off other birds? And how do they intimidate other birds? With calls? With wing displays? At our feeders it’s the jays who act badly!

What animal thieves hang out in your yard or neighborhood? Squirrels steal our bird seed and suit from the bird feeders! And a meadow vole took bites out of eight (8!) squash this summer. Crows often take shiny things, and even cats will pick up small toys and carry them off. Who's making mischief in your yard?

Jessica is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, www.jessicafriesgaither.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Smell the Leaves

Last week I was scuffling through the fallen leaves (on a country road in Vermont) - listening to the rustle and crunch - and I noticed that the air smelled sweet. Maybe it was all the sugar maple leaves?

 

 

This week pay attention to the leaves that have fallen:

• what do they sound like?
• what do they smell like?

 

A Last Hurrah for Bugs

Summer is definitely over, but fortunately* there’s still plenty of bugs all around us. Here are three books for bug-watchers who don't mind pulling on a sweatshirt. 

*my point of view. I realize other folks may have different feelings….

Themes: insects, evolution, nature

Bugs: A Skittery, Jittery History 

by Miriam Forster; illus. by Gordy Wright 

80 pages; ages 6-9+

‎Harry N. Abrams, 2024

“Bugs are everywhere,” writes Miriam Forster, noting they live in Antarctica, on the desert sands of the Sahara, and in the highest mountains on Earth. And they’ve been here forever – or at least for the past 520 million years or so. This oversize, beautifully illustrated book begins with an introduction to what makes a “bug” and a review of the classification system scientists use. Two-page sections show the evolutionary history and biology of arthropods, from trilobites to termites. 

What I like about this book: At the top of the first page of every section there’s a geologic timeline that runs from Cambrian to Quaternary. An icon of the bug sits above the appropriate period, with a note below about when it first showed up in the fossil record. There’s a “Did You Know” fact, a Toolbox, and a sidebar. The Toolbox is where you’ll find out more about how bugs breathe, segmentation, eyes, legs and other body parts, and behavioral adaptations. Sidebars focus on cool things such as modern-day relatives of the prehistoric critters, biomimicry, and how to distinguish a millipede from a centipede.

Back matter – yes, even with all that info there IS back matter – includes how to make a bug-catching kit, how to handle insects, and how to help bugs. The only thing that might make this book even better would be a table of contents. 

Bella Loves Bugs: A Fact-filled Nature Adventure Bursting with Bugs! (Nature Heroes, 2) 

by Jess French; illus. by Duncan Beedie 

48 pages; ages 4-7

Happy Yak/ Quarto, 2022

Hello, I’m Bella. I love bugs. When I grow up, I want to be an entomologist – that’s someone who studies insects.

Spend a day with Bella and her spider side-kick, and get to know the insects that live in her neighborhood. You’ll probably find many of them around your own yard! She finds ants, bees, and butterflies. She hops with crickets and checks the beetles in her tumble trap. At the end of the day she sets up a sheet and a light for an evening of moth-watching.

What I like about this book: I like how illustrator, Duncan Beedie incorporates graphic novel-type panels and speech bubbles. I like the sidebar pages that highlight such things as aquatic insects, metamorphosis, and twelve sparkly beetles. And I like the back matter that shows kids how they can be a nature hero for bugs.

One Day a Mayfly 

by Shirley Marr; illus by Michael Speechley

40 pages; ages 4-8

Candlewick, 2025

One bright morning, Mayfly emerges. 

Nobody notices except a little girl. And the frog who warns the mayfly that the world out there will eat her up. "Not that it matters. You'll only live for one day, anyway." But one day can be an astonishing amount of time for a tiny insect. Mayfly takes flight and leads readers - and the girl - on a tour around the park.

What I like about this book: What an imaginative way to introduce a short-lived creature! Mayflies are in the insect order, Ephemeroptera, as the adults live only a day or so. [The juveniles (larvae) are aquatic and, depending on species, may live up to a year before emerging as adults.] 

I like that there's a lot of "one day" word play in the illustrations: Day in Units; Day out Apartments, Daydream travel agency... I like that Mayfly could go on unknown adventures, but discovers that there are so many surprises nearby. I love that Mayfly wears a party hat but has no mouth. And I love that the adventures of Mayfly and the girl come back full circle to where they started, connecting with family - old and newly acquired.

One thing that is interesting about this book is that you have to turn it to read it. Like a calendar. Indeed, both front and back end pages are calendars that add context to the story. While a fun way to present a story, I found it awkward to flip pages up instead of right to left. At the end of the book, I found myself wanting to know more about mayflies: why didn't the mayfly have a mouth? Why do they live only one day? Do they really hatch in May?

Beyond the Books:

Go on a bug hike. Look for bugs that are on the ground, in a pond, on a tree, on flowers, or flying through the air. Set a timer. How many bugs do you see in five minutes?

Draw pictures of bugs you see outside your house, or that you saw on your bug walk. Or visit an insect house at a zoo or museum and draw your favorite bugs that you see there.

Be a bug! Even if for only a day! Make yourself a pair of antennae. You’ll need: a paper bag, pipe cleaners, tape, scissors. Here’s how. Mine are straight because I was being a fly that day – and also, I had to substitute a couple straws instead of pipe cleaners. I also made designs on my headband. Be creative! Extra points if you can make yourself a pair of wings!

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. And on Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy of  One Day a Mayfly from publisher. Other books  from the library.

Explore Outdoors ~ Caterpillars in the Carrots!

 One day I noticed that someone had been chewing on the carrots. The green tops, that is - and they had nibbled them down to the stems! At first, I thought it might have been a rabbit. But no ... a rabbit would have bitten off entire stems. This was a more dainty diner.

 

I looked and looked and nearly gave up. But then I saw the culprit!

 

 A black swallowtail caterpillar! Notice how the color helps it blend in with the shadows of the carrot leaves. I wanted to get up-close and meet it face-to-face.

 

 

 

This week, get to know a bug up-close and personal! 

 

A Very Noisy Night

Nightsong 

by Sally Soweol Han 

40 pages; ages 4-8

‎Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025

theme: nature, sounds, night

Lewis listens to the Tick-Tock of the clock. When will the grown-ups stop talking?

Finally, it’s time to go home. Lewis and his mom travel by bus, and when a tire goes flat it makes a long trip even longer. As they wait for another bus to come, Lewis begins listening to the night sounds around him. There are whooots and chirps, rustles and flutters... and eventually the night sounds become a song.

What I like about this book: Rather than list sounds, Sally incorporates them into her illustrations. The first page, for example, there’s jingling keys, crunching of cookies, and the sound of crayons on a paper. But where the sounds really come to life is when Lewis and his mom are waiting on the country road, and we can hear all the night creatures. The spreads are filled with sounds!

Beyond the Books:

What sort of city-sounds do you hear at night? Write down all the sounds you can. Which ones are made by people and machines? Do you hear any sounds of nature? 

Listen for nighttime animal sounds. If you’re in a rural area, or a place where there’s not a lot of human-created noise, you might hear foxes or frogs, owls and cicadas. The best time to listen for animal sounds is spring and summer - but the next best time is now! You can check out some wildlife sounds here.

Color or paint what the night sounds like to you. Is it possible to capture sound in color and shape? Is it jaggedy? Smooth? How do different sounds move through your artwork? 

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Spiders in my Garden

 I have so many different kinds of spiders that hang out in my garden. Crab spiders, often matching the colors of the flowers, wait to ambush a fly or bee that drops by to sip nectar or collect pollen. Jumping spiders scurry across leaves, on the hunt. Others spin sticky nets between flowers to capture bees and flies who aren't paying attention to where they're going. Last month I counted five silk-wrapped, bee-shaped burrititos dangling from a garden spider's web. She'd won the real-estate lottery, setting up shop between two tall coneflower stems.

 

This week, check out the spiders

living in your neighborhood!

 

 

Cleanin' Up the River

 

Riverkeeper: Protecting an American River (Books for a Better Earth) 

By Nancy Castaldo

128 pages; ages 10-12

‎Holiday House, 2025

Rivers are important in our ecology and commercial existence. Not only are they a source of water, but they also play important roles in power generation and transportation. What’s cool about rivers is that each one has its own personality. So do books about them.

Riverkeeper is a story about cleaning up and monitoring the once polluted Hudson River. It’s a story about caring for the watershed. And it’s told through the work of environmental activists. I’ve got to confess that the whole time I read this book, Pete Seeger’s version of “Sailin’ Up, Sailin’ Down” was streaming through my head!

But the efforts to clean up the Hudson stretch way beyond the river and the Clearwater. Nancy Castaldo lays out the importance of rivers – they are the lifeblood of the ecosystem – and how citizens stepped up to clean the banks and raise awareness. And still do.

From the thousands of volunteers who pick up trash to the folks doing habitat restoration work, this book focuses on the people who brought the Hudson River back to health. It’s also about those who work to make sure the River has a voice in its future by asking basic questions: does a river have fundamental rights beyond their perceived economic value to people? Doe a river have the right to flourish and naturally evolve? Current environmental regulations don’t protect rivers from stopping harm, writes Nancy. They regulate the amount of harm that is “acceptable.”

In addition to introducing the Riverkeepers, Nancy includes extensive back matter. There’s an author’s note where Nancy talks about growing up beside the Hudson, a glossary, and a ton of resources. The lists of rivers and resources make this a handbook for Riverkeepers of all ages. 

Even before finishing the last chapter, I knew I had to ask Nancy a Couple of Questions!

Me: If a person could do only one thing to help a river, what do you think is the most important action they could take?

Nancy: All rivers are unique and have their own challenges, but they all have one thing in common  — they need our attention! Learn how to engage with your local river. Participate in riverside park events. Sign up for clean-up days. The more we learn about our local rivers and become active neighbors with them, the more we can help them. More actions can be found in the resource section of Riverkeeper. 

Me: You mention the movement to protect the rights of nature. If rivers had rights, how would that change our interactions with them?

Nancy: Rivers are essential to all life. Sadly, we have caused significant degradation to the world’s rivers. But if rivers had rights, they could advocate on their own behalf, through legal guardians.  Lawsuits can be filed against polluters. Judgements would be passed that would benefit them directly. It’s hard to imagine, but there are already rivers in the world with rights. They serve as great examples for other rivers. You can read more about the Declaration on the Rights of Rivers at www.rightsofrivers.org and sign the petition to endorse the Declaration.

Nancy is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, nancycastaldo.com

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge’s blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ After Rain

 I love exploring the world after rain has stopped. Drops still cling to blossoms and stems, sometimes reflecting light and glinting like jewels. Other times they act as lenses, reflecting the world they see.

 

 What do You discover After Rain?

 

 

Crows Come Together

 

I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive 

by Leslie Barnard Booth; illus. by Alexandra Finkeldey 

44 pages; ages 5-8

Chronicle Books, 2025 

theme: birds, behavior, community, winter

I spill across the sky like ink—

fill the night with jagged cries.

I have one thousand eyes.

With the opening of the book we are invited into a winter flock of crows – a flock where one crow is part of the many because, as Leslie writes, “one set of eyes isn’t nearly enough.” With lyrical language she shows how the flock works together for survival. 

What I like about this book: The lovely, poetic language pulled me right in to the crow’s reality of winter survival. I love how Leslie explains that “we” is stronger than “I” – even if it is just for a night’s roost. There is a wonderful nod to the witches in Macbeth, and the recurring theme that night casts the spell that binds the birds together. The illustrations are perfect: dark, but not dreary! And there is Back Matter where curious readers can learn more about crow families, bird intelligence, social learning, and winter survival.

Every time I read a book by Leslie, I feel like she’s found a new way to tell a story. So I had to ask her One Question.

Me: How did you come to this way of telling a story about crows? And did you explore other ways of telling the story?

Photo by Kristal Passy Photography

Leslie: This story began with the concept of crows as social creatures that cooperate and collaborate to survive. I was particularly struck by the fact that crows benefit from the vigilance of other crows--by moving and resting as a flock, they can in a sense "see" with a thousand eyes. I had also been thinking, at the time I wrote this piece, about the power of cooperation more generally. We humans are inextricably bound to one another--our happiness, health, and survival depend on the actions of families, communities, and nations. Because the collective is the focus of this story, when I wrote the first draft I chose first-person plural point of view. While other aspects changed from draft to draft (I worked to add tension and create more of a narrative arc), the point of view remained consistent.

Beyond the Books:

Check out the video and activities at Leslie’s page for educators. There’s a lot to do there!

Get to know a crow. The best way is to find a place to watch them in your neighborhood, or at a park. If you want to know how to identify a crow, check out this page from Cornell’s All About Birds

Fold a paper crow. Instructions here.

Leslie is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, lesliebarnardbooth.com

https://www.lesliebarnardbooth.com/

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Leps in the Garden

 Butterflies and moths are both members of the order, Lepidoptera. The name is derived from the Greek and means "scaly winged." When you look closely, you can see the dust-like scales that cover the wings. Both butterflies and moths play an important role in the environment. Their larvae - caterpillars - are an important food source for birds. The adults pollinate plants. The major difference? Butterflies fly during the day, and moths fly at night - but I found both in my garden one morning.

 

 

 

 

 

How to Be an Animal Hero

Hoo-ray! Kate Messner has a new chapter book series, and this one is about wildlife rescues. How to Save an Otter, along with How to Save an Owl, are the first two book that will release together this week. Perfect timing for a chapter book, too: the beginning of a school year when kids will be looking for new books to read!

How to Save an Otter (Wildlife Rescue) 

by Kate Messner 

128 pages; ages 6-9

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025

Ivy and her brother, Ezra are as different as two siblings can be. But they have one thing in common: they care about animals. Their family volunteers as “critter carriers” for the local wildlife hospital – that means they’re called when someone finds an injured or orphaned animal. When they arrive, they calm the animal, load it safely into a carrier, and transport it so it can receive medical care. 

When Ivy discovers a baby river otter with an injured leg, she’s worried that it will feel lonely without its family. Ivy would! Ivy helps transport the otter and, later, visits it as it recovers. Readers will enjoy the antics of the baby otter and at the same time learn what it takes to care for injured wild animals. For example: when carrying an injured critter to the hospital, leave the radio off. Too much noise is stressful!

Ivy’s visits to the wildlife hospital keep her busy, and at the same time she has friendships to build and school projects to collaborate on. I love how Kate brings everything to a satisfying conclusion so we can all take a deep breath … before diving into the next book in the series – which I have not read yet, but I understand it focuses on Ezra and the owl.

Why I like this book: The story inspired by Kate’s own experiences volunteering for a local wildlife hospital and has the voice of authenticity. I also like that she includes back matter. Her author’s note shares her experience with wildlife rehabilitation, and another section offers specific ways kids can be “wildlife heroes.”

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Nature Walk

 On a cool and damp summer morning, I went for a walk. I intended to go up to the hayfield and maybe follow one of the trails. But... I managed to get about 10 feet past the garage and spend the next 20 minutes discovering cool things in the underbrush.  

 

 

What will you find this week when you head out 

for a walk in the wild? 

This Tree Needs Fire to Survive!

 

Pine Cone Regrown: How One Species Thrives After Fire 

by Elisa Boxer; illus. by  Kevin and Kristen Howdeshell 

32 pages; ages 5-8

Sleeping Bear Press, 2025 

theme: forest, ecology, trees

Nestled in the needles, seeds sealed inside, the pine cone hangs high out of harm’s way…

For those of us who grew up with Smokey Bear and posters reminding us that Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires, the idea that forest fires are necessary comes with a bit of trepidation. Fires destroy so much: animal homes, timber, wildlife food sources… and often the wildlife themselves. But some trees require fire.

In this book, Elisa Boxer introduces readers to lodgepole pines, one of the serotinous trees that can only produce new seedlings when their cones burst open from the heat of flame. Once the flames clear the canopy, the seeds fall down onto soil filled with nutrients from the ash and begin to germinate. Over time, the forest renews itself.

What I like about this book: I like how Elisa uses lyrical prose to bring us into what could be a scary story. I like the way she shows how fire is integrated into forest ecology. Not only do certain trees require heat to germinate their seeds, but other plants and fungi require fire to thrive. I like the back matter! Elisa reaffirms that fires are destructive and come at an environmental and health cost. At the same time, she points out that fire has always been part of a healthy forest ecosystem. 

Beyond the Books:

Find out more about how trees have adapted to fire, and the plants that grow back in a burned area. An article about trees from the National Forest Foundation, and a couple articles about other fire-adapted species from the Teton Chapter of the Wyoming Native Plant Society and “fire followers” in Southern California.

What trees and plants move into burn areas in the environment where you live? (If you live in a city, look to the surrounding areas)

If you’re interested in learning more about wildfire ecology, I’ve posted reviews of a couple books right here on the blog: The Glorious Forest that Fire Built, by Ginny Neil and Fire Escape: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires , by Jessica Stremer.

Check out why some folks use controlled burns to restore health and diversity to natural lands here. 

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Kitchen Science ~ Spin Art!

 Our library's Summer Reading theme was "color your world" and one of the activities that kids could do was create spin art. It's fun and all you need are a few things: some cardstock, washable tempera paint, and a salad spinner (NOT the one you use to spin your lettuce!)

 

 Put your cardstock in the basket inside the spinner and squirt some tempera paint on it. You might have to experiment to get it thin enough to move when the spinner spins. 

 

 

Then start the spinner. I discovered that I had to keep pumping the thing to get the paint to push out to the sides (the effect of centrifugal force)

 

You may want to add more drips and drabs of paint to fill in a few blank spaces...

 

 

 

... and then finish off with a white or silver gel pen! Have fun! Oh, and if your salad spinner has holes on the bottom of the outer plastic bowl, make sure to cover your table with a piece of plastic so you don't get paint all over it. Or just do it outside on an old stump.

 

How To Plant a Forest

The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest 

by Lynn Street; illus. by Anne Hunter 

48 pages; ages 4-8

‎Peachtree/Margaret Quinlin Books, 2025

theme: ecology, autumn, birds

How does the mighty oak create more oak trees? By making acorns.

But here’s the thing about acorns: they are heavy! (I know this because I’ve had a few fall on my head.) They are too heavy to blow on the breeze, so they plunk right down to the ground. Right under the tree. Here’s another thing about acorns: they need sun and water and room to grow. And how can they get that if they’re laying on the ground in the shade with all the other acorns? Well, if they’re from the white oaks next to my house they get picked up and moved by squirrels and birds, carried away, and buried in the ground. 

And sometimes those acorns get forgotten and they sprout into tiny oak seedlings (I know this because I’ve had more than a few grow in my vegetable patch!). 

In luscious, lyrical language, author Lynn Street pulls readers into the acorn-caching behavior of blue jays who hide their treasure – like pirates! “With their beaks, the jays tap, tap, tap the acorns into soft ground…” she writes. The jays have to move fast, because there’s competition. Squirrels, turkeys, mice, chipmunks, deer … they are gathering up acorns too.

What I like about this book: I mentioned the language. Here’s what I mean: “Back and forth— flashes of sapphire in the sun— blue white, blue white.” Even without an illustration you can picture this blue jay flapping across the sky. I like that Lynn takes us through an entire year: winter when jays dig up the acorns to eat, spring when they feed their nestlings bugs (because acorns are too big for babies…),  and fall, when the young jays join the “blue crew” and help their parents collect acorns for the winter. I like the back matter, too! More information about oak trees and jays, and how human interaction has changed the nature of oak forests. There’s also a great list of books for further reading and some websites to visit.

Lynn’s inspiration for this book came from a photo of a blue jay carrying an acorn. In addition to researching books and articles about blue jays and oaks, she spent lots of time watching jays. So I had to ask her A Couple Questions:

Me: What cool insights have you gained from the jays visiting your backyard? (ours are raucous thieves!)

Lynn: I watched blue jays in my backyard as they interacted with a pin oak just over the fence. From a second story window, I was able to see into the oak’s canopy as jays pried acorns from the tree. Over several fall seasons, I spotted more and more of this acorn gathering in real time.

I noticed, too, where the peanuts from my bird feeder were being hidden. One jay buried a peanut under leaf litter. Another time I spotted a jay leaving a peanut in the rain gutter of my neighbor’s house. I also watched a blue jay pull an acorn out from between flagstones on my patio.

Me: Jays are related to crows, and crows are pretty smart birds. How do jays exhibit their corvid intelligence?

Lynn: Blue jays are part of the corvid family, which includes crows, magpies, nutcrackers, and ravens. Blue jays are very intelligent. They have an amazing spatial memory, which helps them locate thousands of buried acorns. The blue jay that dug up an acorn from my patio knew exactly where it was hidden. It landed, plucked it out, and was flying again a few seconds later. 

Blue jays are also great mimics. Their calls can sound like a hawk, or a squeaky gate. The hawk call may alert other jays to predators nearby or trick other birds into thinking a hawk is present. I hear the hawk call often, and the jays always fool me. I look outside when I hear it, but each time it’s a blue jay perching in a nearby tree. Only one time was it a hawk circling high above my street.

In captivity—but not in the wild—blue jays have been observed using tools to rake food into their cages.

The black markings on their faces and throats (called a bridle or necklace) vary and may help the jays to tell each other apart. Do you think you can tell the blue jays at your feeder apart?
 

Beyond the Books:

Watch some blue jays this fall.  Draw a picture of what your jays look like – and make sure to note the markings on their faces and throats.

This one comes from Lynn: Watch your jay’s behavior. Is the bird eating? Is it hiding food or plucking an already buried acorn out of the ground? Blue jays move quickly, so pay close attention!

Do you have oak trees in your neighborhood? If so, get to know them. Draw a map of where the oak trees are growing. 

In the spring, look for oak sprouts. You might find one in your yard or neighbor’s garden. If it’s “in the way” ask if you can dig it up. Then put it in a pot and watch it grow,

Lynn is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, lynnstreetbooks.com 

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Old Friends

 

 

 

Flower-watching is sort of like bird watching. Except that flowers don't have feathers, and they don't fly. They don't move very much at all ... but they do change over the season. I enjoy looking at flowers at all stages, from buds to "old friends" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not the only one who has flower friends - Last  Friday I shared a book about a kid who befriends flowers.

 

 

This week visit the flowers in your neighborhood. 

Are there any that are growing old and fuzzy?