I am very glad to announce my latest book- coming on June 10, 2025!
Hummingbird, you nectar lover,
how you dash and dart and hover-
forward, backward, upside down.
I love to watch you zip around.
In early fall one year, I was looking out my kitchen window, thinking it was time to put away the hummingbird feeder. I hadn't seen the tiny birds for a few days and thought they must've been on their way south to warmer lands.
At that moment, a male ruby-throated hummingbird appeared at the feeder. He took a quick sip, then flew toward the open window where I stood watching. Much to my suprise, the hummingbird flew right up to the screen. There he hovered and cocked his head left and right, staring at me.
After a few seconds, he flew backward, took another sip from the feeder, looked at me again, and flew away. I was amazed. Had he come to thank me for the nectar? Was he saying goodbye? This spunky little bird inspired me to write a poem that later would be made into this book.
Whizzing by me, you're a blur
with bitty wings that whir, whir, whir.
Every second -flap, flap, flap-
fifty beats or more you clap!
This is my first non-fiction picture book geared to children ages 4-7.
I love how my art director worked with me to design the pages and how she interjected short facts in a way that didn't distract from the flow of the poem.
I am also grateful to my editor who made excellent suggestions to improve the rhymes and fact-checked them!
From the front flap:
What's that buzzing sound and zippy flash of feathers? It's everyone's favorite backyard bird- the hummingbird! A curious kid watches a ruby-throated hummingbird and wonders...
What does it eat?
How far can it migrate?
Are hummingbird eggs really the size of jelly beans?
Rhymes and facts reveal these answers and more in a poetic love letter to these teeny, tiny friends.
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