“Everyone Poops” by Taro Gomi, the bestselling picture book that became an unexpected classic, will be the next book on display in the storybook walk at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary in Edgartown this month. The book shows how creatures throughout the animal world, including humans, deal with the products of digestion and has been called “part biology textbook, part sociological treatise and all a celebration of a very natural process,” according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation.
The foundation is partnering with the Edgartown Public Library to bring monthly storybook walks with related activities to the sanctuary. Kristen Geagan, an ecologist and the director of stewardship at Sheriff’s Meadow, has designed match-the-scat and match-the-tracks to the animal activities to go along with this particular book. Take-home craft bags with additional activities will be available at the children’s room take-out window at the Edgartown library, which is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm.
Elyce Bonnell, children’s librarian at the Edgartown library, explains the press release that the book is “a great way for children to understand and relate to the process of potty training in a lighthearted way.”
“All ages will get a kick out of the different animals and the way they are portrayed,” the release says. “The added connection to the scat and animal tracks is an added bonus.”
This is a self-guided activity for children of any age and their caregivers. The storybook walk begins near the informational kiosk, just off of the parking lot on Plantingfield Way. Stands placed around the Ruth and Ed Brooks Trail, which is a little over half a mile long, will display pages from the book.
Bonnell selects a new book for the storybook walk once a month. Storybook walks are growing in popularity around the country, as they give children an opportunity to engage with a story while getting exercise. These walks also help young readers make connections between the story in a book and the world around them.
The Edgartown library is a mile from Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary. Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary is open to the public from dawn to dusk. For easy directions to the sanctuary, download the TrailsMV app. For more information, visit www.sheriff’s meadow.org.
