The Northbrook Public Library and the Northbrook Park District are working together to offer our very first Book Stroll in Techny Prairie Park and Fields’ Trail Through Time (1700 Techny Road). Featuring the classic children’s book We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, community members will be able to enjoy reading the pages of the classic children’s story as they walk along the trail, and children can use their imagination to go on their own imaginary “bear hunt” in the park. The Book Stroll will be available at the park for the next two weeks, and then it will move to a new location.
Librarian Anna Fillmore proposed the Book Stroll as a way to provide an activity that combined being outside with creative exercise, playful imagination, and a classic children’s story. She worked with staff at the Park District to find the perfect location for the Book Stroll.
Earlier this summer, Anna encouraged everyone to turn neighborhood walks into playful adventures with the Northbrook Community Bear Hunt—a simple idea that asked residents to place a bear in their window for children to enjoy as they walked by. “The Book Stroll was a natural progression of this idea,” Anna explains.
As a librarian who loves to see books in action, Anna says that the Book Stroll is a very special and meaningful project. “It’s an opportunity to bring a great book to a great park, and let it work its magic. I think it would be impossible for kids of all ages to not jump, skip, run, and wiggle along as the story is read out loud as readers physically progress through the story. Great book, great park, great community and great fun, and people will also have the chance to win a copy of the book!” she says.
“The Northbrook Park District is excited to partner with the Northbrook Public Library to provide a lovely natural setting for the Book Stroll at the Trail Through Time” said Director of Marketing & Communications Joan Scovic. “The Book Stroll will allow families the opportunity to spend time together, enjoy a story in the park, get some exercise, and take a break from all of the screen time we have been experiencing.”
The Trail Through Time is a natural history walk located in Northbrook’s largest community park. By restoring the land, providing a home for wildlife, offering a variety of experiences and illustrating life on the prairie, the Trail Through Time encourages exploration of the natural world. Children and adults who visit the Trail Through Time will leave with a better understanding of the spirit of the pioneers, the value of prairie, wetlands and open space, and the need for balance in the environment.
