March 30 – National Take a Walk in the Park Day

About the Holiday

Take a Walk in the Park Day is as easy as it sounds, but getting outside and enjoying nature can make a profound impact on your emotional and physical wellbeing. Walking, whether on a paved path or testing your stamina on a rugged trail, provides many health benefits, and immersing yourself in the sounds and often surprising sights of wildlife going about their busy and playful lives brings joy and offers new perspectives and appreciation for the world around us. To celebrate today, visit a favorite or new local or state park with your family!

Thank you to Yosemite Press for sending me a copy of this book!

Forest en Familia / El bosque en familia

Written by/Escrito por Cynthia Harmony | Illustrated by/ Ilustrado por Renata Galindo

While Emilia’s family waits for Abue Tita to arrive, Emilia and Papi finish packing up their lunch, including sweet and spicy tamarind treats, and Abuelo Beto’s treasured compass. Emilia and her family are going to forest en familia day at the big state park, and while her brother, Nico, is rarin’ to go, Emilia feels timid about being out in the wild. But soon—¡vámonos!—they’re off!

At the park gate, the friendly ranger hands Abue Tita a map. Emilia is captivated by the fresh scent of the pine trees. On the trail, their grandmother encourages them to “‘keep ears, eyes, and hearts open to sorpresas.” Emilia is ready! She loves surprises! And just then, a fluttery sorpresa finds her! Nico, running and leaping, discovers a little salamander on a mossy log. Then they all find more surprises everywhere they look.

After enjoying lunch under Abuelo Beto’s “favorite kind of tree,” they clean up “every wrapper and stray crumb. Then—¡Arriba!—climbing higher and higher on the trail, they come to the “biggest forest en famila sorpresa” of all. With “hearts wide open,” they gaze at the glorious panorama spread out in front of them. Back home, Emilia’s heart is full of the forest and all she’s seen.

This bilingual book presents the story in both English and Spanish side-by-side. Back matter includes a glossary, a prompt to find all the creatures in the illustrations and the answer key, and tips on making the most of a visit to public lands.

Cynthia Harmony’s lyrical and enchanting bilingual story will touch the hearts of all readers with its invitation to discover the surprises nature has waiting as well as its embrace of family traditions, culture, and remembrances. Through Emilia and Nico, Harmony positively recognizes that children embrace new experiences at their own pace, a welcome character arc in this inclusive story. Equally strong are the family connections, shown in Emilia’s packing both her and her brother’s favorite treats, the children’s close relationship with their grandmother, and the use of their abuelo’s keepsake compass along the trail.

Renata Galindo’s charming illustrations combine realistic depictions of the forest with whimsical touches that sweep the family and readers up into the wonder of nature and its waiting surprises. Children will find joy in Galindo’s images of the family together—marveling over the wildlife they see, child and parent walking hand-in-hand, Nico nudging Emilia so she doesn’t miss seeing a hawk, a relaxing lunch break, and reliving the excitement of the day back home.

Joyous and uplifting, Forest en Familia/El bosque en familia is the perfect book to introduce visits to public lands; local parks, trails and playgrounds; and even to spark nature discovery hunts in your own backyard. The close-knit family dynamics also makes this a warm and homey read for any story time occasion. The book is a must for all library collections, especially to accompany circulating nature backpacks or other such materials, and would be a favorite on home bookshelves as well.

Ages 4 – 8

Yosemite Conservancy, 2026 | ISBN 978-1951179397

About the Author

Cynthia Harmony is a bilingual children’s author and educational psychologist, originally from Mexico City. Her titles include Mi Ciudad Sings and Mi Ciudad Canta, Our World: Mexico, and the Charlotte Huck Honor-winner, A Flicker of Hope and Un Aleteo de Esperanza, which was selected as one of the best children’s books of the year by Kirkus and the American Library Association. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her family. Visit her at cynthiaharmony.com.

About the Illustrator

Renata Galindo is an art director, illustrator, writer. She is the author of three children’s books: The Cherry Thief, My New Mom and Me, and A Casa en Tres Idiomas, which have been translated into more than ten languages. Renata’s illustrations have been featured in exhibitions in Mexico, the U.S., and Italy, and she has created concept art, storyboard art, and layout design for animation, film, and television. She lives in Mexico City. Visit her at renatagalindo.com.

Take a Walk in the Park Day Activity

Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt

While you’re out walking, look for the wildlife and other things in nature on this Scavenger Hunt or use the page without pictures to create your own list!

Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt with Pictures | Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt without Pictures

You can purchase Forest en Familia / El Bosque en Familia from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

June 24 – International Fairy Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Full of sparkle, magic, and mischief, it’s no wonder that fairies captivate the imagination of young and old around the world! Today we celebrate these mythical creatures and all the joy they bring through cultural associations, books, movies, and pretend play. For an interesting look at the history of International Fairy Day, plus lots of ways to celebrate with your family and friends, visit Days of the Year and Punchbowl.

Thank you to Candlewick Press for sharing a copy of Fairy Walk with me!

Fairy Walk

By Gaia Cornwall

As their mothers relax and talk, three children and their curly-haired dog “skip, skip, skip, trip” into the woods behind the house, hopping from stone to stone to cross the little river “into the misty magic” of fairyland. “Where are you, fairies?” they call. Are they among the honey snowdrop flowers on the ground or under the boulder, so heavy it takes all three of them to tip? They don’t see any fairies, but they do find “a dragon!”—an orange salamander.

Are there fairies across the clearing, enjoying a feast on a “cozy, snug” mushroom table? No—or are there? Maybe they’re just a little farther, under the blanket of pixie moss. A peek underneath reveals “Bugs!” that “scramble, scamper, roll, and burrow,” but not a single fairy.

After all this fruitless searching, the kids grow frustrated and exhausted. It’s time for a snack. While they eat their sandwiches, the children decide that perhaps the fairies are shy. They then engage their other senses and can “hear them whisper in the trees.” They feel “thrums” in the ground below and appreciate the “whisper soft” wings of a butterfly.

They reconsider the gifts of flowers, stones, and mushrooms they’ve found, smelling them more deeply, creating a rock cairn, and inspecting them with a magnifying glass. The children leave a present for the fairies as well. The day is waning, and the trio bids goodbye to their fun and to the fairies, with hope for the future: “See you later!”

In her lovely, lyrical story that sings with sumptuous sensory language and the cadence of childhood fancies, Gaia Cornwall invites children into the magical realm of a lush woodland fed by a rocky stream and brimming with glorious flowers, mushrooms, and the kind of creepy crawlies that set the imagination whirling.

While the kids within the pages never see a fairy, the kids reading the pages will be delighted to spy plenty of tiny blue, sparkle-winged fairies hiding in the foliage; perched on the edge of a bird’s nest; enjoying the day among the mushrooms; and flitting playfully here and there with the kids’ charmed dog, who can see them. Eagle-eyed kids will also want to look for the tiny ladybug in each illustration. Cornwall’s soft-hued pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations are dappled with texture and rich in details of the natural world that children and adults will also want to linger over.

Fairy Walk is an enchanting and clever combination read-aloud and fun I-spy story that children and adults will love sharing again and again. The book is sure to inspire nature walks through the neighborhood, in the backyard, or on hiking trails, where, even if you don’t see fairies, you’ll find lots of the gifts they scatter about. Fairy Walk will enjoy brisk circulation in any library and is highly recommended for home collections.

Ages 3 – 7

Candlewick Press, 2025 | ISBN 978-1536230710

About the Author/Illustrator

Gaia Cornwall loves to write and illustrate for children. She is the author-illustrator of Jabari Jumps, which was a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book and an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and its follow-up, Jabari Tries, as well as The Best Bed for Me. Gaia Cornwall lives in Connecticut. Visit her at gaiacornwall.com.

International Fairy Day Activity

Fairy Walk Activity Kit

Learn how to draw fairies and bugs and go on a nature hunt with this four-page Fairy Walk Activity Kit from Gaia Cornwall and Candlewick Press!

You can purchase Fairy Walk from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

Forest en Familia / El bosque en familia

Written by/Escrito por Cynthia Harmony | Illustrated by/ Ilustrado por Renata Galindo

Take a Walk in the Park Day Activity

Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt

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About the Holiday

Fairy Walk

By Gaia Cornwall

International Fairy Day Activity

Fairy Walk Activity Kit

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