What if you knew that there was a great way to share nature and literacy with your children while getting in a wonderful walk? That’s the whole idea behind StoryWalks. At the Arnold Arboretum, we offer opportunities to enjoy the landscape, learn about nature, read together, and do a little hiking, which all contribute to family bonding. Each month we set out a seasonal story about nature by using children’s picture books with beautiful illustrations and kid-friendly language.
From April 13th to May 15th, enjoy Wild Birds, written by Joanne Ryder and illustrated by Susan Estelle Kwas. Through the seasons, a young girl observes the colorful and lively wild birds who fly, swoop, roost, feed and soar through her neighborhood streets and gardens, and through her own back yard.
- From mid-April to mid-May: The story begins on Meadow Road, across from the Linden Path. After you read it, walk down Meadow Road to our very own ponds where you will see many of the ducks, frogs, turtles and other birds that you found in this story!
Our books include:
- Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Richard Jones
- The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ted Lewin
- Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
- Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre
- Wild Birds by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Susan Estelle Kwas
- Flowers Are Calling by Rita Grey, illustrated by Kenard Pak
- Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
- On Duck Pond by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Bob Marstall
- My Awesome Summer by Paul Meisel
- My Forest is Green by Darren LeBouef, illustrated by Ashley Barron
- Dot and Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery by Ellen Stoll Walsh
- Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schafer, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
- Hiking Day by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell
- The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ted Lewin.