MANSFIELD — Families in downtown Mansfield will be able to enjoy a walk and a unique story while outside this fall.
The book “Look!” by Gabi Snyder, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill, is on display across 20 wooden platforms from the Buckeye Imagination Museum to the Richland Carrousel. Each platform includes two pages from the book.
Collaborators that brought the StoryWalk to life include the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library, Altrusa International of Mansfield and Buckeye Imagination Museum. Community leaders christened the StoryWalk with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday evening.
Chris May, MRCPL director, said the StoryWalk is meant to promote literacy, exercise and exploring downtown.
“StoryWalks have become very popular throughout the country and we wanted to expand upon the Storybook Trail at Kingwood Center Gardens that we started a few years ago,” May said.
Fred Boll of Buckeye Imagination came up with the idea, he added.
“Being able to connect the Buckeye Imagination Museum with the library and the Carrousel gives people another reason to walk through downtown and really enjoy the amenities we have to offer,” May said.
Altrusa Club of Mansfield members volunteered to place copies of the book pages in the displays and will update them with a new book each three to four months.
“Altrusa is a service club and literacy is one of our main platforms, so this was a perfect project for us to contribute to,” said club co-president Lisa Duckworth.
The story currently starts in front of the Buckeye Imagination Museum and goes west toward the library on Walnut Street before ending at the Richland Carrousel.
StoryWalk promotes interactive storytelling
Jessica Ney, MRCPL community engagement coordinator, said the children’s department librarians will pick the books to display in the StoryWalk.
“They’ve chosen a selection of books appropriate for downtown and different seasons,” Ney said.
“This first one relates to fall and is about a little boy who’s in an urban environment. They knew exactly what the environment was and they did really well.”
Fred Boll, executive director of the Buckeye Imagination Museum, thanked each business owner who allowed a book platform on their property.
“This was also in collaboration with the Renaissance, the Park Hospitality Center, the Fernyaks, Engwiller Properties — it was really a community effort to make this happen,” he said.
“The biggest shoutout goes to Altrusa Mansfield and the Mansfield-Richland Public Library. Without their partnership and collaboration, this never would have happened.”
Boll said he’d like to make the StoryWalk more interactive, like including a mystery for readers to solve.
“We can have a kids’ mystery in here and they can guess who moved the teddy bear or whatever it is — and submit their guesses to the library or the museum and we can draw prizes,” he said.
“It’s so fitting for books to be in the Imagination District because every time you read a book, you’re using your imagination.”
The StoryWalk starts at 175 W. Third Street, follows west toward the library and down Walnut Street, and ends at the Richland Carrousel. The platforms are numbered to read the book in order.
