Walk and read, read and walk at library's May 21 Storywalk® event in Strickland Park

(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / May 9, 2022) – The Stillwater Public Library's (SPL) unveils its second storybook for the Strickland Park Storywalk® on Saturday, May 21, from 1-3 p.m. This month's selection is the book "ABC Yoga" by Christiane Engel, featuring children and animals from A to Z performing a variety of yoga moves.

"The book 'ABC Yoga' is perfect for our Strickland Park Storywalk® because it couples animals and nature with gentle yoga movements that provide easy to perform physical activity," said Elizabeth Murray, children's librarian. "This Storywalk® was designed with several accessibility features to engage a wider array of readers, so emphasizing a gentle activity like yoga that can be adapted to be more physically inclusive was important for the goals of our project."

Each of the Storywalk® books have been recorded by a local reader, and the recording is available online through a QR code posted at the beginning of the story. According to Murray, this month's reader is especially exciting.

"We are grateful to have Coach Mike Gundy as our guest reader for 'ABC Yoga' to encourage kids in the community to keep physically active and to read," Murray said. "We also appreciate Orange Power Studios and Sean Maguire, Assistant Director of Oklahoma State Athletics Communications, for helping us with the project."

While the new Storywalk® book and its guest reader are the highlights of the event, many other activities are included to provide a fun filled afternoon for children and families. 

Turning Point Ranch, a non-profit organization providing equine-assisted activities for individuals with special needs, is bringing therapeutic mini-horses Baxter and Sparky to the event from 1-2:30 p.m. Children will have a chance to take turns reading to and cuddling with Baxter and Sparky, as well as the gentle canines from Alliance of Therapy Dogs, who will visit from 1-2 p.m.

"The mini-horses and therapy dogs are an integral part of our events," Murray said. "Not only are they a comfort for children who may need a respite from all of the activities, but they are also patient, non-judgmental listeners who encourage kids to read."

 Because the Storywalk® features a children's yoga book, Red Earth Yoga will be on hand to teach families a 30-minute beginners yoga lesson at 1:30 p.m. Yoga coloring sheets and additional healthy living material will be provided at the Payne County TSET Healthy Living Program booth along with healthy refreshments provided by the organization.

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. 

Additional events are planned for the Storywalk® at Strickland Park on June 26 and July 21. To learn more, visit library.stillwater.org/storywalk.php. 

The Storywalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 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.