StoryWalks® and Summer Days

What do you call a long-haired Chihuahua in the summer? A hot dog! Why did it get hot after the soccer game? Because all the fans left!

Toronto's riding a serious heat wave. TPL Kids poll results show that some of you would go to Mars to beat the heat! The library's much closer to home, though. Cooling down at your local branch? If it's one of the following locations, you can pop outside and take a short StoryWalk®. Make sure you're wearing a hat and sunscreen!

Agincourt
Albion
Amesbury Park
Beaches
Cedarbrae
Danforth/Coxwell
Don Mills
Eatonville
Evelyn Gregory
Fort York
Goldhawk Park
Jane/Sheppard
Hillcrest
Leaside
Mimico Centennial
Morningside
North York Central Library
Parliament Street
Parkdale

A StoryWalk® is when the pages of a book are put up like signs, so you can take a stroll and read at the same time! This bilingual activity featuring The Thing Lou Couldn't Do by Ashley Spires is part of our TD Summer Reading Club events.

Here's a group of friends enjoying the walk at Albion Branch:

Stuffed animals sitting on the ground in front of a StoryWalk sign. A stuffed monkey hangs off the sign.

A nice day for a visit to Hillcrest Branch:

StoryWalk panel with trees and Toronto Public Library sign in the background

Series of StoryWalk signs standing along a path, with trees in the background

The view outside Jane/Sheppard Branch:

StoryWalk panels outside a building with many glass windows

Remember to be smart about outdoor fun! Wear loose and light-coloured clothing and exercise during the cooler parts of the day. Hot weather can make you sick. Here are more tips to beat the heat:

  • Drink plenty of cool water (no, soda and slushies don't count)

  • To stay cool at home, keep blinds or curtains closed to block out the sun during the day

  • Unplug electronics and turn off lights when not in use

  • Check that pets and older relatives are doing okay

  • Tell an adult if you see a person or pet locked inside a parked car

More information for grown-ups can be found at toronto.ca/keepcool.