While Kimberly Vance-Lundsbye and her family were evacuated during last year’s wildfires, she saw a storywalk and her children just loved it, says Anita Price, a coordinator with Cariboo-Chilcotin Partners for Literacy (CCPL).
“Last year she did a few that were mobile, at a bunch of special occasions, special events, like we had it out at Canada Day, but it needed a permanent home.” That permanent home has now been found at the Parkside Art Gallery grounds.
At a storywalk, they take apart a children’s book, laminate the pages and then attach a page to each of the storyboards for children to walk to and read.
“There’ll be suggested activities you can do like run from this station to the next or walk backwards.”
Parkside agreed to let them use their grounds and they also had to seek permission from the district, says Price.
“Kids need to read books. Kids need to love books. But this combines literacy with physical literacy as well. We need to get kids outdoors, it’s healthy for them, and it’s time with family. That bonding time between parents and kids when reading a book is priceless.”
The first book up will be Loon Lake Fishing Derby by local author Kathleen Cook Waldron, who will be reading the story on Wednesday, June 27 at 10:30 a.m.
“We’re really happy to have her doing it.”
Stories will be up every Wednesday from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“The kids can come, the daycares, the schools are welcome to come. It gives a little bit of after dinner time so dads and kids can come too.”
They’re hoping to get plexiglass for them for next year so the stories can stay up longer.
“I’m hugely excited. It’s wonderful. My kids when they were little loved to read books and I know reading books opens the whole world of imagination,” she says. “It’s an important thing for them to be able to read and enjoy reading and that’s what we’re hoping to combine here.”
It’s geared for younger children, probably eight and under, but even seniors love to read children’s books, says Price.
“I would love to see seniors come and walk the route and read the kids books. I tried to pick books that were fun and interesting and happy.”
They might also use them for special occasions like Halloween or with Christmas lights for Moonlight Madness.
The project is funded by 100 Mile House – Success by 6, the South Cariboo Community Enhancement Foundation, Cariboo-Chilcotin Partners for Literacy, Canim Lake Aboriginal Success by 6 and the Williams Lake Arts Council.
