New StoryWalk features “Tidy,” by Emily Gravett

A new StoryWalk is ready and waiting for you at Sunset Park, located at 655 Sunset Drive in Sedona.  Children and adults will love the book about a badger who likes everything to be neat and tidy at all times. 

​Pete the badger tidies the summer flowers in the forest and he sweeps up the autumn leaves.  But he has taken his neatness too far.  Will Pete realize the error of his ways and set things right?

Delightfully funny characters abound in “Tidy,” Emily Gravett’s tale of overzealous neatness that delivers its message of environmental preservation with subtlety and humor.  The freshness and vibrancy of the illustrations, the endearing charm of the animal characters, and the many comic details throughout make this a very special book.

Many local families visit StoryWalk often, finding different things to talk about each time.  It has become an outdoor habit that is building a fond memory.  The trail, which takes you over two bridges, and then loops back to the park, provides about 15 minutes of walking and reading outdoors.  

StoryWalk® is an idea first developed by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, to promote literacy and a healthy lifestyle.  StoryWalk basically consists of a deconstructed picture book that is reassembled and laminated, page by page, to be displayed along an outdoor walking path.

Walking and reading--favorite Sedona activities--make StoryWalk a perfect match for a Sedona Public Library outreach project.  Also, as we strive to enrich lives by fostering lifelong learning, the StoryWalk experience may inspire young parents, letting them know that they are their child’s first and best teacher.  StoryWalk programs have inspired children and adults to read together in all 50 states and 11 other countries. 

A local parent said it was as if his kids were on a treasure hunt. “They couldn’t wait to find the next set of pages.” Overall, he said, “It’s beautiful.”

​With page one starting at Sunset Park toddler playground, young and old are encouraged to enjoy reading a children’s story book while following a half-mile, paved, accessible path where every thirty feet you will find another framed display showing two more pages of the story.  Frames also offer early literacy skill-building activities in English and Spanish, to encourage further engagement with the book. 

StoryWalk serves as an extension of the Library, a special service for child care providers and families with small children.  To learn more about all that we offer at Sedona Public Library, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, or to make an online gift, please visit us at www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for November 13, 2020
Written by Virginia Volkman, Director​

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