The Kimberley Public Library and the Kimberley Nordic Club (KNC) have announced a unique partnership through which they will create a collaborative ski and story project.
“Our mandate is to promote early literacy in an enjoyable and engaging way,” said Jean Miller, outreach coordinator at the Kimberley Library. “What better way to combine winter in Kimberley with a connection to the joy of reading, nature and activity? I’m delighted to see the library collaborate with the Kimberley Nordic Club like this.”
This idea will see a story called The Gruffalo set out over 12 illustrated storyboards on a beginner-friendly 2.25-kilometre loop at the KNC.
The idea comes from the Kimberley Public Library team, who drew from the concept of story-walks which have been a way to encourage children to read in urban settings for some time.
“When the idea was presented to us it was met with a lot of enthusiasm,” said KNC general manager Daniel Childress.
“We want to connect children with the joys of XC skiing. The Gruffalo story-ski is another way to make that happen. It compliments our low cost, fun focused Jackrabbits program for kids 4 and up which is currently the most popular kids winter sports program in Kimberley.”
The Gruffalo is an international best-seller with over 13.5 million copies in print around the world that tells the story of a clever mouse who goes on an adventure through a dark forest and wards off predators by scaring them with the story of a mythical monster.
The story is aimed at readers in the Kindergarten to Grade 3 range, but organizers are confident children of all ages will enjoy the experience, which is set to launch on Jan. 7, 2023.
The two organizations hope that this will blossom into an annual story-ski adventure.
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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