If you go down to Anderson Park in Cromwell today (Friday March 24), you’re in for a big surprise. Not the teddy-bear variety; more of a shaggy sheep tale to read along the greenway.

StoryWalk is a series of 17 lecterns placed along the park’s footpath, offering a novel way to encourage children (and adults) to read and get in some exercise at the same time.

Laminated pages from Shrek the Sheep (published by Pam Chapman and illustrated by Angela Connell) are attached to the boards, with the reader directed to the next page as they walk from the playground end of the greenway.

The plan is to swap out the children’s books four times a year.

The picture books are chosen for their story, illustrations and physical size.  

Cromwell library team leader Vicki Darling says Cromwell is only the third town in New Zealand to feature a StoryWalk

“When we were installing the story yesterday, there was a wee girl just enjoying counting the lecterns,” Vicki said.

“We were very encouraged by the positive response from people we spoke with.”

Central Otago District Council has enabled the walk-and-read experience with funding support from Te Hau Toka (Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group).

The lecterns were constructed and installed by the Cromwell Menz Shed. When complete, concrete bases will allow for ease of mowing.

The boards are placed off the pathway, facing down, to encourage people to move onto the grass to read the story rather than block the path. 

StoryWalks was developed by American Anne Ferguson, in conjunction with the Kellogg-Hubbard library in Vermont, and is now found in 13 countries around the world.  

New Zealand also has StoryWalks in Gore and Te Anau.