In recent summers I’d been captivated by spreads of whole picturebooks along fences in Cambridge parks. I’ve appreciated these broadened views of related illustrations and book design, as well as the opportunity for everybody to follow stories as they move throughout a park.

This post shares examples from my city,* plus some background information that made me aware of StoryWalks around the world. *StoryWalks in Cambridge are sponsored by Let’s Talk/Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families. 

“Combine reading and the great outdoors with StoryWalk®! StoryWalk® promotes early literacy, physical activity, and family time together in nature. It’s a fun and educational family activity that you can bring to your community! Take a stroll and enjoy successive pages from a children’s story along your path.” ( quote from Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk )

“StoryWalk^® was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, in collaboration with former staff member Rachel Senechal, and is a registered service mark of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk^® now exists across the U.S. and worldwide in 13 countries including Germany, Canada, England, Bermuda, Russia, Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea!” ( quote from Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk)

“When I created the StoryWalk Project in 2007, I knew I had a great idea; I just didn’t anticipate how well it would be received across the country and beyond. The idea was quite simple actually. Take the pages from a children’s picture book, attach each one to a stake and line them up along a path for folks to read and enjoy.“(quote from Anne Ferguson about StoryWalk history Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk )

“In general, we use 10 ml lamination pockets, …and use four-foot mahogany stakes….. Each page is mounted on card stock; ………We have the lamination done by our local copy center. I can’t stress enough the importance of a wide margin of laminate around the edges of each page – this completely seals and protects the page from moisture which will ruin the page. When the StoryWalk book is attached to the stake, the pages are at eye level for young children.” ( quote about constructing in Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk )

“In order to keep people of all ages moving along on a walk, I knew I needed books with minimal text that would appeal to all ages (especially children) and that could fit into families’ busy schedules.”( quote from Anne Ferguson about history of StoryWalk Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk )

“A StoryWalk is a children’s book hung page by page around a park in Cambridge where families can read, walk, and talk together. Find the 8 StoryWalks in parks around the city from July 13-August 18, 2024.” (quote from LETSTALK Cambridge, Summer StoryWalk series )

KEY RESOURCES: Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk; LETSTALK Cambridge, Summer StoryWalk series

Future Storywalking: I hope to visit and photograph the eight StoryWalks in Cambridge this summer. Meanwhile I wonder if you have experienced any StoryWalks, or something similar, wherever you live in the world. If so, please comment with information or photos!