County Seat Newspaper
of Clare County
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By MEGAN BARRON
Cleaver Guest Writer
HARRISON – Do you remember the pure joy of getting lost in the pages of your favorite childhood books? Letting your imagination run wild as you brushed your hands across vibrant illustrations and dialogue, with beloved characters traversing pages beguiled with wonder and mystique. Harrison City Park now hosts a brand new, captivating storybook stroll, bringing that enchanting and youthful magic to life for our community, thanks to the City of Harrison’s support in establishing this literary haven.
On Wednesday, April 30, the Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District’s (RESD) Great Start Collaborative, partnered with the Harrison District Library, launched the permanent storybook stroll with a joyful kick-off event. With approximately 40 people in attendance, families gathered to experience the playground’s newest addition while enjoying a leisurely stroll on a sunny, spring day. Wonder-filled eyes and giggles of glee echoed as children explored story panels winding through the playground area.
Sarah McCurdy, Parent Services and Support Coordinator of Clare-Gladwin RESD, and her team hosted a table filled with snacks and drinks for everyone to enjoy throughout the stroll. Each family received a copy of the book to take home at the end of the stroll, enhancing the festive vibe.
The first book to grace the permanent storybook stroll was Ribbit! by Rodrigo Folgueira, illustrated by Poly Bernatene, captivating readers of all ages with its whimsical illustrations and heartfelt tale of friendship and acceptance. Its cheerful pink pig chanting “Ribbit!” to connect across differences, set a joyful tone for the grand opening.
The storybook stroll winds through the park’s northwest playground area, starting with a weatherproof podium sign near the main entry path displaying a children’s book’s cover and first page.
The storybook stroll arrives at a critical time, as many young students in our region face challenges in early reading. Joyful, accessible literacy initiatives like this are more vital than ever, offering a delightful way to inspire a lifelong love of stories and reading.
Euri Garcia, Harrison District Library program coordinator, partnered with McCurdy to secure grant funding for the weatherproof signs. “The storybook stroll promotes literacy, outdoor time, and family fun,” Garcia said. “Stories tie to seasons or our library’s summer themes.”
The storybook stroll offers fun, engagement, and literacy in the outdoors for families and community members of all ages.
“It is open to everyone - we want to get everyone excited for reading,” McCurdy said. “When we had our temporary rotating one, there was an older lady and she was so cute - when we would go set it up she would be there and she would be like ‘oh, I can’t wait for a new story!’ Even though it is a kid’s story, I was like how exciting – that’s so fun! She walks that path like every other day and she was always super excited to read it. And I was like, you know, I love that’s it’s not only kids getting excited.” The trail offers a delightful way to spark that love, blending stories with nature.
Open spring through fall, the stroll will feature new books monthly, with QR code surveys offering free book copies to encourage visits and track usage.
“After each book, scan a QR code to take a survey and get a free book copy at the library,” McCurdy said. For book rotation updates, follow the Harrison District Library and Clare Gladwin Parent Network Facebook Pages or visit claregladwingreatstart.com.
The storybook stroll invites all to discover tales in nature’s retreat, fostering a lifelong love of reading and community connection. Visit Harrison City Park to experience the magic!
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