Children's Book: Welcome, Brown Bird

Marking the change in seasons with a fondness for the thrush, two boys are unknowingly connected by a Wood Thrush, on opposite sides of its migration path. In the spring, a boy in North America waits for the thrush by a hemlock forest. In the fall, a boy waits for the thrush by a rain forest in Central America. In a paralleling story of reverence and protection, both boys convince their fathers not to cut down the trees where the thrush lives during their respective seasons.

Author, Mary Lyn Ray, was inspired by declining yearly visits by Wood Thrushes to her farm in New England. She has created a story that teaches and inspires while touching the heart. The words, together with Peter Sylvada's rich golden, earthy toned paintings, has captured the birds' subtle beauty and the heartfelt awe of the wonder of nature.

A preview of the book can be found here.

Although the Wood Thrush is not common in the Willamette Valley, Swainson Thrushes and Hermit Thrushes can be found in the region. Each species of thrush has a different song. For fun, you can listen to the songs of four species of thrushes and take a quiz to see if you remember which is which.