Upcoming Author Event: Bird Stories & Suncatchers Art Activity with Lori Kothe at the Wings Over Water Bird Festival in Blaine, WA
Saturday, March 14, 2026
10:00am - 3:00pm, Blaine Community Center Pavillion
Free event. All ages & skill levels welcome.
Join us! The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is happening now (Feb 13-16, 2026).
Get the Merlin Bird ID app and see how many birds you can record. Can you find all nine birds from the picture book? Learn more about the GBBC at birdcount.org.
The perfect gift for bird lovers, book lovers, kids, friends, educators, and yourself!
Contact Lori to buy direct with Seattle area pickup/delivery.
Birds Near My Home in the City by the Sea is a quirky picture book for all ages that celebrates the unique personalities, sounds, and endearing qualities of nine wild bird species that call Seattle home and how we can raise a voice to save their sounds we love. Written and illustrated by Lori Kothe. Published by Kocreate Books, Jan 2025.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7352102-4-7
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-7352102-5-4
Request to buy the book from your favorite local bookseller or order online via bookshop.org or amazon.com. Resellers can purchase books via Ingram (returnable) and direct from Lori Kothe.
Lori Kothe Author Event Calendar
Birds Near My Home in the City by the Sea
Buy the picture book
Saturday, March 14, 2026 (10am - 3pm)
Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival in Blaine, WA
Birds Near My Home Story Walk, Storytime + Bird Suncatchers Art Activity
Kid’s will enjoy some wild surprises, crafts and activities provided by Blaine Birch Bay Parks and Rec District 2 . Kids of all ages will enjoy creating a suncatcher with author and illustrator – Lori Kothe! Lori will also be providing a story time of her quirky new picture book called “Birds Near My Home in the City by the Sea” as well as kids and adults alike can experience a Story Walk of her book at Blaine Marine Park. Blaine Community Pavilion, 635 8th Street, Blaine, WA 98230
Praise for Birds Near My Home…
“The only thing that could make this book better is if it were written when my kids were still young! ”
“Lori's clever poetry is not only appealing to young ears, but to both grown-ups and kids alike. If you have lived in the Seattle area for any length of time you have most likely had some type of interaction with each of the featured species, whether you fed it peanuts or it stole your french fries. They are our familiar feathered friends and kids will love that they also know these birds well and can imitate their sounds/calls with the pneumonic devices on each page. In addition to fun facts about each bird species, Lori provides links to ‘birdy’ organizations so you can learn more! The only thing that could make this book better is if it were written when my kids were still young! ”
— Robin Lutton, Environmental Educator
Environmental Science Center at Seahurst Park
“Here’s what [the students] liked about it: The bird sounds, the variety of birds, and the fun facts section.”
“I was given a copy of your book to read to my ½ class at Genesee Hill. We loved it! Here is what they said they liked about it: the bird sounds, the variety of birds, and the fun facts sections. They had a lot of connections to each bird and each page and we learned a lot. Thank you so much for writing this – I’m glad it made it to my classroom.”
— Erin Munavu (moo-nah-voo), 2nd grade teacher
Genesee Hill Elementary School – West Seattle
Love the book, too? Please contact me to submit your review or to request a copy to preview.
Oh Poo! A Cautionary Tale. Because everyone has a dog poo story!
Oh Poo! A Cautionary Tale is Lori Kothe’s first published picture book and manifesto that started the Poogooder grassroots movement in West Seattle to help end wayward dog poo for a happier, healthier community and planet.
A picture tells 1,000 words, but a picture book makes each word matter.
What stories changed you?
Kocreate Books is an independent imprint that creates picture books by Lori Kothe to change the world for the better, one story at a time. Let’s partner! If you are a bookseller, organization, educator, publisher, or someone who would just like to say hi and learn more, please contact us for more info. Kocreate Books is based in Seattle, WA with global impact.
Backstory
Stories are magic.
Stories have the power to inspire minds and affect lives. Picture books transform ideas into visible reality and make imagination tangible.
This is why we Kocreate.
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