The Poetic Perfection Of A Lakeside Story Walk In A Bedford Park

BEDFORD, NY — The pages of "Wonder Walkers" unfold as wonder walkers young and old explore the children's book and the lakeside trail in Bedford Hills Memorial Park.

Kids are often told to turn off the television, put away the video games and read a book or get some fresh air. The Bedford Hills Free Library is offering the chance to do both at the same time.

The story walk lasts the length of a tall tale or a short stroll depending on one's perspective. Each stop along the wooded trail is marked by a page in the book illustrated by Micha Archer. Just as her oil and collage artistic interpretation brings the story of two curious kids setting out on a wonder walk to life, the wildflowers, lily pads and busy honey bees make it seem as if the book is breaking free from the bounds of the page.

Or as one three-year-old book reviewer more stoically put it, "Is the moon the world's light bulb? No, that's a silly idea."

The easy, level wonder walk takes less than 15 minutes to complete, but inspired young readers have an endearing habit of demanding a second reading, requiring yet another lakeside stroll. When the second reading is complete, there is a QR code to share thoughts and pictures about your family's personal wonder walk in the park.

Picture book pages are displayed on posts that begin near the playground and are spaced along the path that winds around Lake Marie (Jeff Edwards/Patch)

A good story walk can't be rushed and should be revisited often. This installation will remain in place all summer long.

Correction: Patch is told that the book critic quoted for this article is three-and-a-HALF-years-old. An earlier version of the report listed her age as three. We regret the error.