“If you’re looking for a guide to all things Pacific Northwest that’s just about perfect, this is it.”
–Review of By the Shore by Foreward Reviews
Publications
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The Mountains Are Calling: Year-Round Adventures in the Olympics and West Cascades
Covering the Olympics and West Cascades, The Mountains Are Calling features hikes, the best campgrounds, geological history, nature notes, gear guides, and more. Each mountain location is organized into two seasons–green season and snow season–with seasonal hikes and outdoor adventures. Also included are getaways in cabins, lodges, fire lookouts, and yurts. A perfect book for families, those new to outdoor adventures, and seasoned enthusiasts looking for new and offbeat places to explore.
Nancy Blakey
Hannah Elnan, Editor
Nick Hall, Photographer
Chandler O’Leary, Illustrator
Sasquatch Books 2022 -
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By the Shore: Explore the Pacific Northwest Like a Local
By The Shore is an adventure guide to the wild and beautiful Pacific Northwest coast for locals and visitors alike where you’ll learn how to catch and cook seasonal seafood, including recipes that can be prepared over an open fire. You’ll find beach activities, learn the basics of water sports, and get ideas for kayak trips, and island bicycle and coastal hike itineraries. By the Shore also includes wildlife ID guides and seasonal natural events like meteor showers, the solstice, and oceanside festivals. The book covers the coastal areas of Oregon (from Astoria to Florence); Washington (including Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula); and British Columbia, Canada (Vancouver Island).
Nancy Blakey
Hannah Elnan, Editor
Nick Hall, Photographer
Teresa Grasseschi, Illustrator
Sasquatch Books 2018 -
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Go Outside! Over 130 Activities for Outdoor Adventures*
This book is an invitation for kids to go out the back door to a world filled with ideas and adventure. Divided by season, Go Outside includes outdoor science projects, games, easy crafts, and activities that entertain kids for hours. Make snow ice cream, learn how to douse for water, collect star dust at the beach, and create a pumpkin totem pole for Halloween. Getting kids outdoors is one of the best gifts parents can give their children, and Go Outside is a treasure trove of ideas for all seasons. *These books are currently out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon.
Nancy Blakey
Dana Dean Doering, Photographer
Tricycle Press, 2002 -
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The Mudpies Book of Boredom Busters*
“I’m bored!” These dreaded words from kids, can be looked at another way--as a strong force driving us to our best creative selves. Parents can use boredom as fuel for the imagination with these simple crafts and projects divided into Outdoors, On Rainy Days, In the Kitchen, and On the Road. These simple activities require few materials, little adult supervision, and work like magic in occupying kids and developing imaginations. *These books are currently out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon.
Nancy Blakey
Alexandra Foley, Illustrator
Tricycle Press, 1999 -
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Lotions Potions and Slime: Mudpies and More*
This popular book explores the wonders of science, the rewards of making art, easy in-the-kitchen recipes kids can make and serve, as well as a Potions section that includes how to make fake blood for Halloween and Monstercide for getting rid of monsters under the bed. Rich with creative possibilities-- including recipes for seven types of modeling clay– Lotions Potions and Slime is a timeless project book of creative fun for kids of all ages. *These books are currently out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon.
Nancy Blakey
Melissah Watts, Illustrator
Tricycle Press, 1996 -
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More Mudpies: 101 Alternative to Television*
With an emphasis on child-driven entertainment, 101 Alternatives to Television is filled with activities that are better in every way than screen time, allowing imaginations to grow and children to develop interests that will last a lifetime. There are indoor, outdoor, holiday, and science chapters, and best of all, a chapter on how to put together boxes (outdoor, dress up, puppet making, and art) for kids to beat boredom without adult supervision. *These books are currently out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon.
Nancy Blakey
Melissah Watts, Illustrator
Tricycle Press, 1994 -
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The Mudpies Activity Book: Recipes for Invention*
This is the book that started it all and remains one of the most popular of the bunch. Parents, teachers, and daycare providers use Recipes for Invention as a timeless sourcebook to keep kids happy and busy without using elaborate ingredients, or complicated instructions. It includes edible art, easy holiday activities, handmade gifts, building boats, and the ever-popular cinnamon dough recipe. Recipes for Invention invites kids to a world of creative possibilities with little adult supervision. *These books are currently out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon.
Nancy Blakey
Melissah Watts, Illustrator
Tricycle Press by arrangement from Northwest Parent Publishing, 1989
Meet Nancy
Nancy was born in Idaho and raised in the Pacific Northwest where she now lives on an island in Puget Sound. In her adult life she married in Scotland and lived in the Highlands, then they moved to South Australia. Later she spent summers in Alaska with her family during the Bristol Bay salmon season. Nancy and her husband Greg have four children. While raising her family she had a syndicated kids’ activity column called Mudpies that was collected and published into five books. Years later, after Greg’s premature death, she was drawn to spend more time outdoors, and By the Shore and The Mountains Are Calling were born. These guide books encourage people to explore the wonders of the Pacific Northwest and make memories--one of the most precious assets we possess. Nancy believes there is no rewind. She believes some day is now.
Contact Nancy at: nablakey@seanet.com