Friday, August 22, 2025

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.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

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?
 
 

Friday, August 15, 2025

Finding our "Best Buds"

I’ve been spending a lot of time in my garden this summer, and I’ve come to realize that, for me, many of the plants (and insects) in my garden have become … friends. Best Buds, even. So I’m delighted to share this book with you today. It’s not my ordinary STEM book offering, though there are plenty of stems in it. 

Best Buds 
by Becky Scharnhorst; illus. by Jiarui Jiang 
40 pages; ages 4-8
‎Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025


theme: friendship, plants, moving

On his first day in a new town, Spencer made a friend. It was easy!

Spencer and his mom are moving into a new house, and Mom is worried about making friends. But Spencer has NO trouble finding friends. He met Fred on the first day, just sitting outside in a box under a tree, and Vera was found next to a fire hydrant.

Spencer cares for his plant friends. He takes them to the playground and to reading circle so they can hear the stories. Everywhere he goes, people ask “wouldn’t you like a real friend?” as if plants couldn’t be friends. Some days Spencer would load up his wagon with a few friends and go to the park. That’s where he meets Daisy, whose friend is much smaller and has no leaves at all!


What I like about this book
: I like how Spencer appreciates each plant’s personality: They could be “late bloomers” or shy, or even a bit wild, but it didn’t matter because he loved them anyway. As he comes to accept the differences of his plant friends, readers will accept that friendship doesn’t depend on what you look like. It’s more about accepting people – or plants – as they are.

I also love the illustrations. The detail of each plant, and the diversity pictured is just plain fun – from the front endpapers to the last – and every page in between. 


Beyond the Books:

Do you have any plant friends (trees are included)? Draw a picture of your favorite and if they don’t have a name, give them one!

If you were a plant, what kind would you be? Would you be tall? Spiky? Flowery? Would you have long, thin leaves or leaflets that are bunchy? Draw your plant portrait!

Get to know the plants growing in your neighborhood on a first-name basis! Are there tiny flowers in the grass? Are there bold, yellow dandelions growing between cracks in the sidewalk? Are there trees you’d like to get to know better? Draw a map of where your plant friends live.

Hop over to the GROG and find out more about author Becky Scharnhorst in this lovely interview with former librarian and author, Kathy Halsey.

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. A huge thank you to author Becky Scharnhorst for a review copy.