The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest

K-Gr 2–This nature-themed picture book walks readers through the symbiotic relationship between oak trees and blue jays. Narrated in poetic verse and accompanied by colored pencil illustration, the book allows readers to journey alongside these intelligent birds from one summer to the next. There is much work to be done to prepare for winter, tasks that benefit different ecosystems across the countryside. Blue jays do the important work of transporting acorns through flight. They inevitably drop some acorns which sprout into seedlings later. Over an extended time, the birds expand their own habitats while broadening the homes of other plants and animals. Street and Hunter have created a title that is educational and visually stunning. Elegant language, particularly the occasional use of shape poetry, supplements the serene narrative. Included in the endnotes are additional facts about blue jays in relation to oak trees.