StoryWalk® in Magnolia: Growing Connections

We’re so excited to celebrate the 5th year of our StoryWalk® partnership with Daybreak Star Preschool teachers! Over the years, this program has become a beautiful bridge connecting the urban Native community with our neighbors here in Magnolia.

We’re also thrilled to continue working with the Magnolia Farmers Market, which has been an amazing partner. This summer, we’re honored to add the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) to our team. They transcribed all four books into Braille so that more families can experience these stories in new ways.

Each year, the teachers at Daybreak Star carefully choose books by Native authors to share stories that reflect Two-Spirit identities, Coast Salish cultures, and Native stories from all over Turtle Island (North America). This year, they picked four wonderful books:

• • • • • 47,000 Beads by Koja Adeyoha
        • This Land by Ashley Fairbanks
        • Shanyaak’utlaax by Salmon Boy
        • Her first basket by Michele Balagot

StoryWalk® has become a favorite summer activity for Daybreak Star Preschool families and for kids and parents who join other Native youth programs. It’s so meaningful to see these books displayed at Daybreak Star, the Farmers Market, and the Magnolia Branch Library. It shows that Native stories belong everywhere our families and neighbors gather.

Too often, books about Native history and culture are written from an outsider’s point of view. These stories can be misleading—or even harmful—to young Native readers looking for their own truths and histories. By sharing books written by Native authors and stories passed down by Elders and community members, we help our kids learn in a way that feels true, joyful, and rooted in who they are.

StoryWalk® invites families to slow down, walk together, and use all their senses to enjoy a story, one page at a time. It’s a simple idea that brings people closer to nature, to the stories, and to each other.

This growing partnership shows how powerful it is when a community comes together. It’s not just about books on signs—it’s about listening, sharing, and building real connections between our Native community and the larger Magnolia neighborhood.

We hope you’ll visit the StoryWalk® this summer starting July 1st. Bring your family, read a page, talk about what you see, and feel the connection that these stories build for all of us.

Thank you to Daybreak Star Preschool teachers, Magnolia Farmers Market, and the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library for making this possible. Here’s to many more years of walking, reading, and growing together!

~posted by Mai T.