Birch Bay is setting of new children's book by local mother, daughter

While Mary Lyn Nair sat watching her daughter, Shanti Nair, run freely on the shores of Birch Bay, she said she heard the ocean whisper the words of a poem to her.

“Down by the sea, where the cool wind blows,” the poem reads. “Where the blue heron flies, amidst cries of the crows …”

Years have passed, but the poem always stayed in the family, Mary Lyn said.

“I’ve been singing it all these years whenever I walk down the beach,” she said. “If someone’s passing me by, they may hear me singing. That poem has never left.”

With the help of Shanti, who earned an associate degree in visual communication and graphic design from Whatcom Community College, the family’s poem has been transformed into a self-published children’s book. Shanti considers it a love letter from her and Mary Lyn to Birch Bay. 

“Down by the Sea” was released earlier this summer and is being sold for $15 at the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Center. The book aims to teach children the names and likenesses of Pacific Northwest species to foster their respect for nature.

Mary Lyn said this was the year Shanti felt ready to start the project they both knew had always been waiting for her – it was time to bring the poem to life with illustrations.

Shanti said her process was a mix of remembering the beach through a child’s eyes and capturing the natural beauty of Birch Bay.

“The book was like a big research project,” Shanti said, adding she ended with a better understanding of the wildlife she grew up around. “Memories only help you so much with illustrating.” 

A note in the back of the book recommends playing soft ocean sounds in the background for an immersive and calming reading experience.

Sacha Sanguinetti, the chamber’s event coordinator, said Shanti’s impressive illustrations immediately caught his eye. He called the project a top-notch children’s book that “represents Birch Bay very well.”

Mary Lyn presented her and Shanti’s work to local families at the annual Birch Bay Kite Festival in June. She was surprised by the age range of people who told her they felt connected to her poem’s message.

Even if her kids are no longer living at home, Mary Lyn said she wants to continue supporting young people’s care and curiosity for their surroundings through more published work and cultural programming within the community.

Mary Lyn hopes her daughter will continue to find creative inspiration in her poems and stories. Some of her other titles include “Little Bird Please Sing to Me,” which is set in Whatcom Falls Park, and “Shanti’s Garden,” which takes place at Ferndale’s Hovander Homestead Park.

Proceeds from each book sale will go toward the new Birch Bay library that Mary Lyn said the community deserves.

“It creates an environment for the kids to grow, and when they start loving to read books, it’s a treasure,” she said. “It’s something that they will have as a gift their whole life.”