Provided to the QAM News
Residents of Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood can now wander five different StoryWalks that feature picture books by Indigenous authors.
The StoryWalks are located at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, Magnolia Community Center, Magnolia Farmers' Market, The Seattle Public Library’s Magnolia Branch and the playground near the Discovery Park Visitor Center.
They are available daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 31, with the exception of the StoryWalk at Magnolia Farmers’ Market, which will be available during market hours on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The StoryWalks feature a rotating selection of picture books by Indigenous authors: “Berry Song” by Michaela Goade; “Finding my Dance” by Ria Thundercloud; “Kúndlaan, the Wolf Pup with Moonlight in Her Eyes,” by Sondra Segundo; “My Powerful Hair,” by Carole Lindstrom; and “Molly of Denali” by Sovereign Bills. Each week, the books will move to a different StoryWalk location.
The books were chosen by Daybreak Star Preschool teachers and their community to highlight Indigenous stories told by Indigenous authors.
“Many print works, including those claiming to transmit knowledge about Native histories, cultures and traditions, are written from a settler-colonial perspective,” said Mai Takahashi, children’s librarian with The Seattle Public Library. “These StoryWalks were created to counteract this harm and bring richer understanding and joy through the recognition of shared experiences.”
HOW TO FIND MAGNOLIA STORYWALKS
• Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center (5011 Bernie Whitebear Way) hosts a StoryWalk at a nearby pond; take the gravel trail behind the Center to find it. See the Discovery Park map.
• The Discovery Park Visitor Center (3801 Discovery Park Blvd.) hosts a StoryWalk at the playground by the Visitor Center.
• Magnolia Branch (2801 34th Ave. W.): Look for the StoryWalk outside the branch, along the wall facing the parking to the backyard.
• Magnolia Community Center (2550 34th Ave, W.): The StoryWalk is located at the playground at the community center.
• Magnolia Farmers Market (W. McGraw Street & 33rd Avenue W. in Magnolia Village): Look for the StoryWalk at southwest intersection of McGraw and 32nd Avenue W. during market hours, Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Magnolia StoryWalks are part of a collaboration between Seattle Parks & Recreation, Daybreak Star Preschool, Magnolia Farmers Market and The Seattle Public Library.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at www.spl.org/Ask.