Smirk. Gasp. Love.
Kocreate makes stories that move and inspire.
Upcoming Author Event: Bird Stories & Suncatchers Art Activity with Lori Kothe at the 2026 La Conner Birding Festival
Sunday, January 25, 2026
10:30am - 11:30am, Maple Hall in La Conner, WA
Free event. All ages & skill levels welcome.
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
Oct 12, 2025 - Feb 13, 2026
Bird Book Nature Walk in Highline College Forest
Birds Near My Home Migrating Art Exhibit by Lori Kothe
Come enjoy a self-guided urban nature walk and explore Birds Near My Home in the City by the Sea picture book signs placed along the trail loop around the hidden ponds west of the sports field of the Highline College Campus in Des Moines, WA. Open to the public.
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Sunday, Jan 25, 2026 (10:30am - 11:30am)
Birds Near My Home Author Event at La Conner Birding Festival
Bird Stories & Suncatchers with Lori Kothe
Join West Seattle author/illustrator Lori Kothe at the La Conner Birding Festival celebrate her new picture book Birds Near My Home in the City by the Sea and enjoy kid-friendly art activities, bird trivia, and storytelling. Free event open to the public. No registration required, but supplies and space are limited. Signed copies of the book will be available onsite for purchase. Located at Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St, La Conner, WA.
Want Lori Kothe and the bird book to stop at a location near you? Contact Lori Kothe.
Saturday, February 14, 2026 (10am - 2pm)
The Environmental Science Center’s Bird Fest in Burien, WA
Celebrate the Great Backyard Bird Count weekend at the 10th annual Bird Fest!
Join us on Saturday, February 14 at the Burien Community Center and Dottie Harper Park! Bird Fest offers families, friends, and neighbors an opportunity to learn about their local birds and plants while participating in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Facilitated bird walks, hands-on activities, booths by local organizations, community science, live raptors! Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Ave SW, Burien, WA 98166, USA
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
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Stories have the power to inspire minds and affect lives. Picture books transform ideas into visible reality and make imagination tangible.
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