Q&A with Lynn Street

 

 

 

Lynn Street is the author of the new children's picture book The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest.  

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest?

 

A: This nonfiction picture book was inspired by a photo of a jay holding an acorn in its beak. Blue jays are my favorite bird, but I did not know that they planted acorns that might grow into oak trees. I wanted to investigate this process and share it with readers. The back matter gives more information about the role of blue jays in growing forests.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I researched this story over several years. My favorite part of the process was watching the blue jays in my yard.

 

My neighbor’s oak tree (the same species of oak as the tree in The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest) was also a source of mysteries to be unraveled. I watched with binoculars from my upstairs window as the birds flew into the canopy, pulled and pried acorns from the tree, and flew out of the canopy again. 

 

The most difficult part of the writing was finding information about jays and acorns. A library and internet search revealed that no books were written for the public about acorn caching and blue jays.

 

I used Google Scholar to find academic papers on my subject, then contacted the authors of relevant studies. I interviewed them to make sure I was understanding the facts of the blue jay acorn gathering and burying process. 

 

I was amazed to learn that blue jays can alter a landscape, over time, based on where they bury their acorns and how many they hide.

 

Q: What do you think Anne Hunter’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: I love Anne’s art! She studied scientific illustration, so her background is a great fit for this nature story. All of the details from the leaves to the acorns to the blue jays are accurate across the changing seasons.

 

The softness of Anne’s colored pencil work and the lyrical language have a similar tone. I’ve had teachers tell me that the words and art blend beautifully, and that the book is wonderful to read aloud.

 

The one thing that’s true of picture books is that the art is half the story, and the words are the other half. Anne created a landscape—a patchwork countryside—that was richer than any I could have imagined!

Q: The Booklist review of the book calls it an “outstanding observation of a remarkable reciprocal relationship in the natural world.” What do you think of that description, and how would you describe the dynamic between the blue jays and the oak trees?

 

A: I like that summary of the book! The partnership between blue jays and oak trees is an example of mutualism, a symbiotic relationship between two different species that benefits each of them and promotes survival and growth.

 

An oak tree provides food and shelter for the blue jays. And the blue jays, as they bury acorns for future feasts, spread the oak tree’s seeds far and wide helping new trees and forests grow.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My next book, a picture book biography about a birder, is coming out early in 2027. I’m excited to have another bird-themed story to promote alongside The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

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.

 

Readers can find out more on my website: lynnstreetbooks.com, subscribe to my newsletter (link on my website), or follow me on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynn.street.1466, Instagram: @lynnstreetbooks, and Bluesky: @lynnstreetbooks.bsky.social

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb