StoryWalk placement by Howard County Public Library

We have a bumper crop of summer-ready, community-friendly books this season.  A great way to share books socially is StoryWalk® installations and events.  If StoryWalk® is new to you, a good starting place to find out the what, how, and why is this website.  You can also explore Let’s Move in Libraries, featuring sample StoryWalk®  programs around North America. Here are some new and very soon forthcoming titles we think fill the bill as perfect picks for these physically and socially active book-centric events. Be sure to contact the publisher and follow StoryWalk®’s directions for receiving approval. We’ve included each publisher’s contact information with their title featured here.

Spin a Scarf of Sunshine, written by Dawn Casey and illustrated by Stila Lim, from Floris Books, invites both activity and inquisitive exploration of nature’s cycle from the arrival of a lamb through sheep sheering, spinning, and creating cloth.

The Wall and the Wild, written by Christina Dendy with illustrations by Katie Rewse, will arrive in September from Lantana. This picture book features a young gardener who discovers the need for diversity in the ecosystem when she looks beyond the little plot of she has tried to keep perfect by throwing less than perfect plantings over the wall.

Lantana worked with the Annapolis Valley Regional Library System, Nova Scotia, in 2019, so the community could enjoy a StoryWalk.

Earth Is Big, coming from What on Earth and written by Steve Tomecek and illustrated by Marcos Farina, offers a variety of visual perspectives allowing comparisons and contrasts to better understand humans, animals, habitats, our planet, and even Earth’s place in the universe.

A Bouncy 1 2 3, by Sade Fadipe with illustrations by Shedrach Ayalomeh, from Cassava Republic, offers readers opportunities to explore a Nigerian village while strolling through this picture book.

The Neighborhood Surprise, written and illustrated by Sarah van Dongen and published by Tiny Owl, tells the story of a neighborhood getting together to create a surprise party for one of their own who is moving away.

Think about partnering to set up your local StoryWalk®, taking hints from these books as to relevant partner locations. Does your community have a public garden? How about a science museum? If your installation has to to be hyper-local, what about your own neighborhood? Share your StoryWalk® photos with us on Instagram and Twitter and help other communities get active while reading!