Story Walk in the Park

Story-Walk-Web

Brought to you by: Pleasant Hill Parks and Recreation and Pleasant Hill Public Library

Sponsored by: Iowa Healthiest State Initiative, Friends of Pleasant Hill Library, Pleasant Hill Lions Club, and Occupational Therapy students and faculty at Drake University 

NEW THIS YEAR (Story Walk in the Park)

Occupational Therapy students and faculty at Drake University have partnered with Pleasant Hill Library and Parks and Recreation departments to create some activities for you to engage in as you read the story. Although the story may be geared toward a young person, take a moment at each sign to engage in the natural environment, move your body (physical), consider your feelings/emotions (emotional) and engage your senses (there are 8) sight (visual), taste (gustatory), touch (tactile), hearing (auditory), smell (olfactory), vestibular (balance) proprioceptive (movement) and interoception (internal). To learn more about occupational therapy, please visit www.aota.org or www.drake.edu/ot. 

Location: Copper Creek Lake Park, 4390 E University Ave, Pleasant Hill, IA

*The first sign is located across from the playground at Copper Creek Lake Park.

Total Distance: .4 miles

Look for a new story each month!

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn

April: Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn

Learn about the library, checking out books, and story time with Lola. Every Tuesday Lola and her mommy go to the library. Lola meets her friends there. They share books and don't have to be quiet all the time. The nice librarian tells stories. There is a big machine that buzzes Lola's books in and out, and she can take any books she wants home with her. Lola and her mommy always stop for a treat on the way home. No wonder Lola loves the library.

This gentle story of growing with books encourages little ones to discover the joy of reading as well as getting them ready and excited to visit the library.

Sweet, bright illustrations are from a kids-eye point of view. Perfect for a lap read or story time, the first in Lola series, LOLA AT THE LIBRARY is a book young readers will fall in love with.

“The library is not very far away, so Lola and her mommy always walk there

Where is somewhere that you enjoy walking to? What do you see, hear, and smell on this walk?

“Sometimes there is storytime. Lola loves that.”

What do you love about reading? Do you enjoy listening to stories or reading them yourself?

“Every night, after Lola is tucked into bed, her mommy reads her a story. It is the best way to end the day.”

How do you relax before going to bed?

Stomp by Ian Aurora

May: Stomp by Ian Aurora 

This jacketed hardcover picture book encourages body movement. Readers will be up and out of their chairs as they follow—and stomp—along with the diverse group of children and adults featured in this rowdy read. From stomping really fast to stomping while you wiggle all your toes, this interactive title promises to be an engaging and fun read—perfect for group story times! Stomp is the newest title from Uncle Ian Aurora and a follow up to the award-winning read-aloud, Clap.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

June: Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

A companion to the new Over and Under the Pond and the beloved Over and Under the Snow, this sweet exploration of the hidden world and many lives of a garden through the course of a year "could not be more lovely," according to the Washington Post. Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt there is a busy world of earthworms digging, snakes hunting, skunks burrowing, and all the other animals that make a garden their home. In this exuberant and lyrical book, discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves...and down in the dirt.

Summer Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow

July: Summer Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow

Ramble through the woods, as you join Grammy and her favorite grandkids on a summer walk. Beautiful illustrations and clever rhymes will guide readers as they learn to identify twenty-six different bugs, from grasshoppers to moths, snails to katydids. At day’s end, discover how to create a caterpillar habitat; observe over time as your caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly you can then release on your next summer walk.

Tractor Mac Youre a Winner by Billy Steers

August: Tractor Mac You're a Winner by Billy Steers

Tractor Mac is ready for the big tractor pull contest at the county fair, but when Big Deke, the reigning champion, shows up, Tractor Mac realizes just how tough the competition is going to be. Big Deke wins the tractor pull and Tractor Mac is disappointed. Then the carousel stops working, and Tractor Mac is just the right size to help get the ride going again. Tractor Mac may not have won the pull, but in the end, he saves the day at the fair.

Tall Tall Tree by Anthony D. Fredericks

September: Tall Tall Tree by Anthony D. Fredericks

There's a world teeming with life that very few people ever see. Take a peek at some of the animals that make their home in a Tall Tall Tree―a magnificent coast redwood. Count the animals, one through ten―chipmunks chattering, bats roosting, slugs sliding, and many more. Tony Frederick's playful rhyme makes this a book young children will want to look at and listen to again and again, while early readers will enjoy reading it on their own. The turn of every page reveals a unique perspective on the redwood's many moods, illustrated with Chad Wallace's stunning colors. Enriching STEAM activities complement the content. Come discover and explore this wild and magic world!

The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming

October: The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming

Squirrel loves counting the leaves on his tree―red leaves, gold leaves, orange, and more. But hold on! One of his leaves is missing! On a quest to find the missing leaf, Squirrel teams up with his good friend Bird to discover who the leaf thief could be among their forest friends.

With vibrant art and captivating characters, the magic of autumn is captured beautifully on each page as readers tag along Squirrel's forest adventure. Is there truly a leaf thief afoot, or is something else going on in Squirrel's forest? A perfect exploration of change―both seasonal, and the anxiety that change sometimes causes. Bonus material explaining about the changing of the seasons.