Read & Walk Your Way Through Tom Lee Park!
Ben Wilkins | Choose 901
Just in time for summer break, Memphis River Parks and Literacy Mid-South are launching a storybook trail at Tom Lee Park, a collaborative literacy project designed to combine reading, movement, and outdoor family engagement.
Opening Friday, May 22, Memphis River Parks’ storybook trail has installed pages from a children’s book—Shelby County A to Z—on child-height panels near Tom Lee Park’s Life on the River Playground along the blue walking path.
Through the partnership, Literacy Mid-South and Memphis River Parks plan to collaborate on literacy engagement, story selection, and community-centered programming connected to the trail.
To celebrate the opening of the trail, Kifani Press, the publisher of Shelby County A to Z, and their literacy nonprofit, Kifani Kids, will be onsite on Friday afternoon, May 22 at 4:00 pm to distribute free books to attendees while supplies last. Free Art for All Summer Culture Passes will also be distributed to attendees at the Tom Lee Park playground.
WHO: Memphis River Parks & Literacy Mid-South
WHAT: Literacy Mid-South Storybook Trail Opening
WHERE: Tom Lee Park Life on the River Playground
WHEN: May 22 | 4:00 pm
Keep reading for more of the back story on how this new Storybook Trail came to be!
Can you explain how a storybook trail works?
A storybook trail is perfect for children and families because it combines reading and movement. Instead of turning a page to a book, set turning a page to a book, readers move from page to page by following signs along a trail. The twists and turns of the trail match the plot of an engaging storybook to create a whimsical park experience that promotes healthy child development.
What inspired Literacy Mid-South to invest in one at Tom Lee Park?
Literacy Mid-South has found success in place-based literacy opportunities called Literacy Zones that incorporate the foundations of reading in public spaces. After working on this initiative for several years in Raleigh, they’re ready to expand their Literacy Zone impact across the county as part of the collaborative Shelby County Early Literacy Plan. As the front door to Memphis where thousands of children and families visit the park and the Life on the River Playground in particular, Tom Lee Park is a strategic location for their first Storybook Trail to reach a wide audience in the city and showcase this innovative literacy initiative.
Which book will be featured first, and why?
We want to feature local authors and publishers to reinforce the power of representation in reading and support local artists, so we’ve selected Shelby County A to Z, a project of Kifani Press and the Shelby County Nonprofit Commission here in Memphis. This book promotes evidence-based early literacy concepts and features the amazing landmarks and culture of Shelby County. Just in time for summer, this book will highlight the many places families can go when they’re visiting and out and about around Memphis this season.
Where can we find the storybook trail?
The storybook trail can be found near the entrance to the Tom Lee Park playground, starting between the welcome center and Hi Neighbor cafe. If you can find the giant otter, you’ll see the beginning of the storybook trail and follow it up a winding path that ends at the aluminum slides!
Where and when is the opening? Anything to note for that special event?
The official opening of the storybook trail will be on Friday, May 22nd at 4:00 at Tom Lee Park. Literacy Mid-South, Kifani Press, and the Shelby County Non-Profit Commission will be on site at launch to distribute free books and Art for All Culture Passes that can be used to gain free entry into museums and cultural events all over the city this summer.
What else can families and children look forward to on the riverfront this summer?
The Memphis Flyway, a brand new observation deck of the Mississippi River, opens this summer to spectacular views of the Mississippi River and the wildlife that travels along it. If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to visit the Tom Lee Park welcome center for free equipment rentals for all the summer sports you can imagine. For something fun indoors, you can head over to Mud Island and check out the BVO and the River of Time immersive art experience.