Dee Dee the Chickadee
Buy the book
A picture book series by Diana Lewis

Meet Dee Dee and her backyard friends

A tiny, brave black-capped chickadee and seven real backyard birds — every one the correct species, named the way a field guide names them.

Buy Book 1 on Amazon — $17.99 Paperback · ages 4–8 · Miners Castle Press

“Chickadee-dee-dee, come follow me!”

Dee Dee's Backyard Bird Adventure — book 1 cover

Meet the birds

Seven friends from Book 1 — each with a real fact a four-year-old can repeat at the feeder.

Robin American robin

Did you know? A robin can hear worms moving underground and pinpoint exactly where they are.

Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal Northern cardinal

Did you know? Both Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal sing — unlike most songbirds, where only the males do.

Blue Jay Blue jay

Did you know? A blue jay can imitate other birds, even hawks, to scare rivals away from the feeder.

Goldfinch American goldfinch

Did you know? Goldfinches are strict vegetarians — they eat only seeds, never bugs.

Hummingbird Ruby-throated

Did you know? The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward.

Downy Woodpecker Downy woodpecker

Did you know? His tongue stretches three times longer than his beak — and wraps around the inside of his skull when not in use.

Mourning Dove Mourning dove

Did you know? A dove drinks by sucking water up like a straw, while most birds scoop and tilt their heads back.

Dee Dee the chickadee
Dee Dee herself Black-capped chickadee

Did you know? A chickadee can remember hundreds of hiding places where it stored seeds for winter.

The books

Read the story, then color the birds.

Dee Dee's Backyard Bird Adventure — book 1 cover
Book one

Dee Dee’s Backyard Bird Adventure

The read-aloud picture book. Seven friends, one refrain, and a “Did You Know?” on every bird.

Every bird is the correct species, drawn and named the way a field guide names them — so what your child learns at bedtime is what lands on the feeder in the morning.

Short sentences and big art for reading aloud in a lap or a classroom circle, with a refrain they will shout back at you by the third page.

Paperback · ages 4–8 · Miners Castle Press
Buy on Amazon — $17.99
Backyard Bird Adventure Activity Book cover
Companion · 100+ pages

Backyard Bird Adventure Activity Book

Coloring pages, bird mazes, spot-the-difference and hidden-bird puzzles, plus quizzes packed with true bird facts. Ages 4–8.

Coming this week

From early readers

“A very delightful book — I can’t wait to share it with my grandchildren. Each page is clear and easy to follow, friendly for young and experienced readers. Such a fun, engaging way to learn about the birds in our world, and it leaves the reader eager to head outside to discover each one.”
Amazon reader · grandparent
“Love this book! Not only informative and entertaining, it has beautiful pictures that kids love. I highly recommend it!”
Amazon reader

A look inside

Spread — Dee Dee at the feeder
Spread — meeting Robin
Spread — the whole flock
Spread — Dee Dee and the goldfinch
From the activity book
Coloring page — two chickadees
Count the Birds activity page
My Backyard Checklist activity page
Coloring page: a child in a winter hat watching two chickadees at a feeder through binoculars, with a squirrel holding an acorn
The Chickadee Club

The Chickadee Club

Meet a new bird every month. Kids learn to spot it, name it, and know where it lives — without noticing they’re learning. A flat envelope addressed to your child — the kind of gift a grandparent gives once and gets thanked for all year.

4-page story · your child’s name inside
Series card #01
Wild Flock · mystery
Backyard map
Seed packet
Placeholder — opened-envelope flat-lay illustration goes here
  • A 4-page story with your child’s name in it, and a “Did You Know?” fact they’ll repeat at dinner
  • Two collectible bird cards — a numbered series card and a “Wild Flock” mystery card — with real field marks, songs, and habits on the back
  • Dee Dee’s Backyard Map: a fold-out poster with a new bird sticker every month, placed where that bird lives
  • Coloring and activity pages featuring the month’s bird
  • Backyard surprises: birdseed, wildflower seeds, stickers to build your own feeder
  • A welcome kit to open first: Dee Dee’s Backyard Map, the card wallet, and a letter from Dee Dee with your child’s name
$14/month or $149/year Welcome kit first, then a bird a month
Giving it as a gift?

Tick “This is a gift” when you join, and we’ll mail the welcome kit to you, ready to wrap. The birds go straight to the child. For Christmas, order by December 15.

Renews automatically. Cancel anytime.
Dee Dee's Wetland Adventure — book 2 artwork
Next in the series

Dee Dee’s Wetland Adventure

Book 2 takes Dee Dee to the cattails, where a great blue heron is waiting. More adventures coming.

For grown-ups

Why this series

Real ornithology

Every bird in Dee Dee’s world is drawn and described accurately, so what they learn from Dee Dee is what they’ll see out the window.

A refrain they’ll shout

“Chickadee-dee-dee, come follow me!” returns on every page — the repetition that makes a new reader brave.

Ages 4–8

Short sentences, big art, facts worth stopping on. Read-aloud in a lap or a classroom circle; read-alone soon after.

Meet the author

Meet Diana Lewis

Diana Lewis

For Diana Lewis, a love of nature is a family heirloom. Growing up in Northern Michigan, she spent countless hours walking through the woods with her great-grandmother, learning to watch and listen for birds. Today, she passes that same sense of wonder on to her grandchildren—and to young readers everywhere.

Dee Dee’s Backyard Bird Adventure brings the magic of those quiet moments to life. Drawing from years of observing her own backyard visitors, Diana turns familiar feathered friends like chickadees, robins, and cardinals into engaging characters. Her goal? To invite children to step outside and explore the natural world right outside their windows.

Diana lives in Michigan with her family, where she always keeps a close eye on the birdfeeder.