Imagine you are taking a walk along a nature trail. You come upon a page from a children’s book, laminated and mounted on a stake. As you continue to walk, you discover another page, then another, and another. Soon you realize you are reading a story as you go along! The Storybook Trail combines the enjoyment of a children’s story with the benefits of walking outdoors and also helps develop an appreciation of the natural world.
Such a Storybook Trail was created along the east sidewalk at Odell Public Library, 307 S. Madison Street, Morrison, IL, on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Children and their caregivers experienced this free, drop-in program between 10:00 a.m. and noon. Copied pages of The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss with illustrations by Crockett Johnson, were inserted into plastic pockets and displayed on signs along the walk. Each station was accompanied by seeds of carrots, peas, and green beans, and live plants–weeds and carrots–to embellish the short story.
Area Master Gardeners and naturalists explained the displays and asked children to identify the seeds.
Mary Nelson, University of Illinois Extension office, along with two assistants, prepared the traveling Storybook Trail. It has been seen at Sterling, IL, Public Library, and Mount Carroll, IL, Daycare. “We will feature different books seasonally,” she stated, “and return in the fall to promote the Rock Falls, IL, Recreation Trail.” This “nature path” will span 1.25 miles from Avenue D to McNeil Road, crossing the Rock River.
Nelson informs the public of the new location of the U of I Extension 4 and Whiteside County office. It is 12923 Lawrence Road, Sterling, IL. The new hotline number is 815-632-3611.
Hillary Blevins and her children Isaac and Annabelle, Morrison, attended the Storybook Trial.
Inside Odell Public Library, children were busy choosing books; playing with hand puppets and plastic inflated guitars; using computers; making a take-home percussion instrument. This item enriched the library’s summer reading theme: “Read to the Rhythm.”
Krysta Mapes guided the transformation of a metal can into a combination shaker, scraper, and plucking instrument. She inserted rice, while the child decorated labels with markers and music-themed stickers. The cover was fabricated from a colorful balloon, whose neck had been snipped. The end of the balloon had a piece that could be grabbed and snapped, causing a pleasing “thunk.” A craft stick was used to scrap the grooved can, which could also be shaken to make a third sound.
Seasoned adults will appreciate the huge, themed display at the entrance. Mounted are two dozen LP’s: (long play) microgroove, vinyl records, introduced in 1948 by Columbia Records. This made a retro photo board for the children, during the first week of the summer program. Katie Rider purchased them at Bargain Bonanza Thrift Store in Clinton, IA, for $0.25 apiece. She chose music that was not endearing classics, but “polka and ice skating music. I didn’t want to damage any music,” she noted, so she attached the LP’s with double-sided tape.
During the first week of the summer reading program, children were photographed in front of the music. Their pictures are on display. “The kids asked what the big CD’s were!” Rider noted.
