StoryWalk® in Jorgens Park Preserve

Located in Jorgens Park Preserve on the northern shore of Silver Lake in Scandinavia, the StoryWalk® is a 0.4-mile loop trail beginning east of the park’s picnic pavilion. As families walk the trail, they will enjoy reading pages from a children’s picture book that have been placed along the trail.

Combining literacy with outdoor activity, the StoryWalk® is fun for all ages, and a great way to enjoy some meaningful family-bonding time!

Now on the StoryWalk® is “I Lived Inside a Whale” written and illustrated by Xin Li — 

A quiet child in a boisterous family, Emma Wen dreams of a world that is peaceful and silent. When she reads about the blue whale – with a heart so big her father could stand in it – she has an idea. She fashions a boat out of household objects and sails from her bedroom into the mouth of a whale, where she settles in happily. Emma has finally found her peace and quiet. That is until another child, Owen Tang, arrives inside the whale and is loud, noisy and “everything she is running away from”. Emma and Owen’s unlikely friendship blossoms inside the microcosm of the whale in a beautifully told story of friendship and finding your own voice in a world that is “filled with too much of everything, everywhere.”

With lush, irresistible illustrations and its balance of sensitivity and adventure, Xin Li’s author/illustrator debut is an ode to storytelling and imagination and displays her keen understanding of the emotional world of children.

The StoryWalk® runs from April through early November each year and features books of all types, from classic to new, and even non-fiction. A new book is put up about every three weeks.

If there’s a book that you’d like to see on the StoryWalk®, please let us know!

The StoryWalk® was named “Walk with Donnie” in honor of Donnie Jensen, who was a Scandinavia Public Library and Friends of Jorgens Park Preserve board member. “Donnie volunteered many hours in support of both the library and Jorgens Park,” said Library Director Sue Vater Olsen. “It’s my hope that people can enjoy the StoryWalk® and remember Donnie’s life.” Donnie passed away in 2016.

Facebook users can friend the Scandinavia Public Library and the Friends of Jorgens Park Preserve on Facebook to remain current with events in both locations.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

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Reading is fun for all ages!