Storybook trail opens at Tom Lee Park

Brandon LaGrone II | Daily Memphian

Just in time for summer break, Memphis River Parks Partnership and Literacy Mid-South officially unveiled the city’s first free public storybook trail Friday, May 22, at Tom Lee Park.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place near the park’s Life on the River Playground. The new attraction features 20 child-height, permanent panels installed along the blue walking path.

For its debut, the trail showcases pages from “Shelby County A to Z,” a children’s book designed to teach foundational reading skills while highlighting local culture.

Johnny Blount, director of community action at Literacy Mid-South, said the partnership came together at the perfect moment.

“Literacy Mid-South has been looking to have a storybook trail as part of our place-based sort of literacy approach, and Memphis River Parks reached out to us with a desire to put a storybook trail here at Tom Lee Park,” Blount said. “I was actively sort of thinking about this. We got the funding for it. And then it was just magic, really.”

The featured book is the result of collaborative work by the Youth and Education subcommittee of the Shelby County nonprofit committee.

Janet Lo, the director of the Office of Community Engagement and Nonprofit Services, said the committee relies on nonprofit leaders to guide their focus, which led them straight to early literacy.

“(Nonprofit leaders) want something where literacy standards are aligned, and we want something that looks like and feels like the lives of the kids in our community,” Lo said. “And that’s what ‘Shelby County A to Z’ is.”

Blount said the book was developed alongside literacy experts to ensure the featured sounds and places effectively teach young children.

To date, the book, printed by Kifani Press, has been distributed to approximately 18,000 prekindergarten and kindergarten students across the U.S.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris attended the opening to emphasize the importance of accessible, educational activities for local families.

He said the trail highlights unique aspects of the region from jookin’ to the Hattiloo Theatre.

“Both are opportunities to have some fun for families and for children in Memphis and Shelby County,” Harris said. “You get them out on the playground, and all of a sudden, you intersperse it with some activities like this where they can learn something.”

In addition to the trail, attendees received free books and information about the Art for All Summer Pass.

Lo explained the pass, accessible at 901artforall.com, grants students and their families free admission to 13 museums and three performing arts organizations this summer.

Harris said in previous years, the pass has caused museum attendance to go “through the roof,” allowing kids to learn while they are having fun.

While the panel structures are permanent, the stories will rotate.

Blount said future book selections will align with Tom Lee Park’s seasonal programming and youth-focused events to continue drawing families down to the river.

Ben Wilkins, Memphis River Parks’ manager of programming and engagement, positioned the storybook trail as part of a larger, unprecedented summer on the riverfront.

He highlighted the recent opening of the Baron Von Opperbean River of Time immersive art experience on Mud Island as well as the Memphis Flyway, an accessible observation deck opening on the south end of Tom Lee Park in June.

For the families exploring the park on opening day, the interactive setup is already proving to be a welcome addition to their summer routines.

Ebony Jefferson brought her son Tyson to experience the new trail and said the outdoor reading path provides a valuable resource for local parents.

“I’m excited to see what other books they use in the future. My son loves to read,” Jefferson said. “I’ve been reading to him since he was in my belly, and things like this help me continue to keep reading interesting, especially today in this technological world.”