Local Social Media Star Subject Of New Children’s Book

BREWSTER – On Cape Cod, it’s easy to find a common connection when meeting another local for the first time. For Marty Koblish, that connection helped inspire her fifth children’s book, “Cape Cod Nature Boy.” 

Koblish, a former high school administrator who resides in South Carolina and summers in Chatham, was scrolling through social media videos one night when she came across the Facebook account CapeCodNatureBoy. 

The account featured videos of Kolby Kaser, then 11 years old, catching snakes, feeding livestock on his parent’s homestead, fishing and generally educating viewers on wildlife native to Cape Cod. 

“In my mind, I’m thinking ‘Oh my God, he reminds me of Steve Irwin,’” Koblish said. 

She immediately gravitated towards the educational nature of Kaser’s account, run by his mom, Megan. Also platformed on Instagram under the same handle, the content includes Kaser’s two siblings as they discover animals or cook meals using homegrown ingredients. 

Megan said that creating the videos was very organic. From a young age, Kaser spent time catching small animals or helping out around the homestead, and it felt natural to capture how seriously he took his surrounding environment. 

Koblish started asking around about Kaser. She knew she wanted to write a book about his adventures, but didn’t know how to get in touch or figure out who he was. 

One day, at a veterinary appointment for her 4-year old Golden doodle Brodie, she brought up her anticipated book venture.

“Marty, that’s my son,” said Bill Kaser, Brewster Veterinary Hospital’s medical director. “My wife has been videoing him since he was 5.” 

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Koblish exclaimed. 

The Kasers live on a plot of land in Brewster that they have converted to a farm-to-table operation. The homestead includes dogs, cats, sheep, chickens, geese, ducks, a goat, sometimes cows, turkeys and pigs. They grow vegetables, raise animals for meat and live off the land to its fullest potential. Kaser has always understood the importance of nature, the environment and the circle of life. 

After the initial introductions, Koblish and Kaser sat down to talk through the different ideas and adaptations of their potential project. 

“First, it was just kind of talking about the different stuff that I do,” said Kaser. “Then we came up with the idea to do different months.” 

The story chronicles a year in Kaser’s life as a Cape Cod local. Each new page presents a new month with a different outdoor activity close to Kaser’s heart. From walking through dense foliage in the winter months and finding deer antlers to watching the herring run to catching blue crabs, Kaser dabbles in a number of different Cape-centric pastimes. 

Koblish grew up on a farm in Flemington, N.J. and felt a kinship with Kaser after spending so many months talking about his day-to-day life. 

It took about two years from idea to print for Koblish and Kaser. Koblish would write up the copy for the book and send it over to Kaser to edit, where he would adjust some content and language for accuracy. 

After the copy was finalized, Koblish reached out to Lytha Nicholson, a member of her women’s club in South Carolina who is an artist specializing in watercolor paintings. Although Nicholson had never illustrated a children’s book, she agreed to partner with Koblish on “Cape Cod Nature Boy,” an exciting addition to the story for Koblish and Kaser. 

Koblish then worked with Wendy Upson of Watermark in Chatham to design and lay out the final, physical book. 

“I was really, really excited and I was really proud to see the book,” said Kaser of obtaining a final copy. 

Although Kaser was given a stack of his own to pass along to friends and family, he said many of his supporters were more interested in purchasing the book. 

In fact, some mornings Kaser can be found at the end of their driveway at a farmstand, where he’ll share the backstory of the book and make a sale or two. 

Kaser, now 13, is just hoping to continue his adventures, and his parents have made it a point to encourage outdoor activities as opposed to screens indoors. Kaser currently doesn’t have a phone, and his mom hopes the book will entice other kids to get outside.

“If we can encourage other kids to get outside and experience more than just a tablet…that’s the biggest thing and what I’m hoping part of this book will do,” Megan said.

Kaser’s ability to retain information and share it with the world is truly one of his superpowers. He has dyslexia, which makes reading and writing more difficult, but because he is such a visual learner, his memory is incredibly strong. 

Kaser attends camps, participates in contests, joins seminars and spends time with his dad and uncles outdoors, where he learns new information every day. To be able to share it using social media has become a true highlight for the entire Kaser family. 

“We’re definitely a team,” said Megan.

“It is a team, that’s exactly right,” said Koblish. “It’s a family team. On a homestead, taking care of one another and all the animals and having fun at the same time.” 

“Cape Cod Nature Boy” is currently on sale at the Brewster Bookstore, Yellow Umbrella Books in Chatham, Snow’s Home and Garden in Orleans and Titcomb’s Bookshop in Sandwich. It can be found online at martykoblish.com/books and other online bookstores. 

On Saturday, Aug. 30, Koblish and Kaser will be at Yellow Umbrella Books for a book signing from noon to 3 p.m. Attendees will be able to purchase a copy of the book and meet the duo who made the project happen.