Story provided by Stillwater Public Library
The Stillwater Public Library (SPL) invites families to the Storywalk® at Strickland Park on Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to noon, for a new book and loads of learning and family fun.
In this month’s book “Little Pea” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a young pea just wants to eat veggies, but his parents want him to eat all of his sweets first. By adding a twist to the familiar “no dessert until you eat your veggies” predicament, children are invited to relate to Little Pea.
Elizabeth Murray, children’s librarian, thinks this charming story will encourage kids to try more fruits and veggies, and there will be some to sample at the Storywalk®, thanks to the Payne County Extension, who are loaning the library their smoothie bike for the event.
“We’re trying to approach fruits and veggies in unexpected ways,” Murray said. “By making it fun and unconventional to make a smoothie, we’re hoping it will make eating healthy foods more enticing.”
As with previous stories at the Storywalk® at Strickland Park, there will be several accessibility features to help engage a wider variety of readers. There will be a recorded version of “Little Pea” that storywalkers can access by scanning a QR code. The book’s text will also be posted in braille next to the story pages, thanks to special stickers created by the Oklahoma Library for the Blind.
“We worked closely with Mya’s Promise, who was instrumental in opening an inclusive and accessible playground and community gathering place at Strickland Park last summer,” Murray said. “Making sure that the Storywalk® aligned with the project was one of our biggest goals.”
Several community partners will also attend to provide kids with plenty of fun learning opportunities. Our Daily Bread is bringing a “guess the produce” game, and the OSU Museum of Art will have air-dry clay available for attendees to sculpt their favorite food. Payne County’s TSET Healthy Living Program will also have a table full of complimentary healthy refreshments.
“We really appreciate that we have so many wonderful organizations in Stillwater joining us at our Storywalk® events this summer,” Murray said. “I think that everyone who comes out will leave ‘hap-pea.’”
The Storywalk® event is free, open to the public and registration is not required. After completing a short survey, children will receive a free book courtesy of the Friends of the Stillwater Public Library.
One final event is planned for the Storywalk® at Strickland Park on July 21 from 6-8 p.m. To learn more, visit library.stillwater.org/storywalk.php.
Library staff will immediately post information about canceled or postponed programs on the library website. Participants are encouraged to check library.stillwater.org before coming to the library for an event. Updates will also be posted on library social media channels @StillwaterOKLib.
The Strickland Park Storywalk® was made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL), with local support from Mya’s Promise, City of Stillwater Operations and Community Resources, the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and Oklahoma ABLE Tech. The opinions and content of activities and materials do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of ODL or IMLS, and no official endorsement should be inferred.
The Storywalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. Library hours are Monday- Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
