a fox and other animals in front of a fallen oak tree
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Amy Schimler-Safford, Artwork for Thank You, Old Oak, by Britt Crow-Miller (Barefoot Books). © 2025 Amy Schimler-Safford

Special Storytime: Britt Crow-Miller

Artists & Authors
For Families
-
Reading Library

Free with Museum Admission

Join local author and educator Britt Crow-Miller for a reading of her new picture book Thank You, Old Oak. After 400 years in the forest, it’s time for Old Oak to fall. With a pop, frenzy of snaps, and a flurry of movement, she leans to one side and falls heavily to rest on the forest floor. When news of beloved Old Oak spreads throughout the forest, creatures big and small gather to show their gratitude for all she gave in her rooted life. But they soon discover Old Oak’s life is actually just beginning, and her legacy will serve the forest for hundreds of years to come. In addition to the storytime, Britt will also have some oak-related materials on hand for curious young scientists to investigate.

Book signing to follow program. Can’t make the event? You may reserve signed books online.

Who You'll Meet
a white woman with long light hair

Britt Crow-Miller

Britt Crow-Miller is the author of World of Rot, winner of a 2025 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Medal. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Departments of Environmental Conservation and Earth, Geographic and Climate Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she also directs the Sustainability Science graduate program. Britt is also the founding director of CityWild, a nonprofit organization with the mission of inspiring curiosity about the natural world through fun, exploration, and hands-on learning for kids and families. She lives in Amherst with her family. Find her on Instagram at @britt_crowmiller.

Author Website
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In the Bookshop

a fox and other animals in front of a fallen oak tree

Thank You, Old Oak

fugus, bugs, and microbes

World of Rot