UPDATE (Monday, April 19, 2021): This story has been updated to note that the "Good Dogs, Great Listeners" StoryWalk at Fairfield Hills has been extended one week, to April 25.

* * * * *

The Charlotte Helen Bacon (CHB) Foundation has organized a free StoryWalk on the Fairfield Hills campus. Originally scheduled to conclude on April 18, the special event has been extended until sunset Sunday, April 25. The foundation made the announcement Monday, April 19.

StoryWalk is an innovative and delightful way for all ages to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. Laminated pages from a children’s book are attached to wooden stakes, which are installed along an outdoor path or streetscape.

As participants stroll along a trail, they are directed to the next page in the story. StoryWalks have been installed in 50 states and 12 countries.

This self-paced, do-it-on-your own time StoryWalk features the children’s book Good Dogs, Great Listeners: The Story of Charlotte, Lily, and the Litter. It is designed to bring families together in reading and exercise. The book, which was published by Sandy Hook residents Joel and JoAnn Bacon, was released on February 22, 2015. The CHB Foundation sponsored its first Good Dogs, Great Listeners StoryWalk in February 2020 in Sandy Hook Center.

Through a press release issued by the foundation ahead of the event JoAnn Bacon said that thanks to the success of that inaugural presentation, everyone at The CHB Foundation “is excited to bring this free event to Newtown residents for a second time.

“This event gives families a safe activity when our options have been limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that we are providing a much-needed activity during these difficult times,” she added.

The pages are on display along the paved woodland trail in Fairfield Hills. To begin the StoryWalk, park in the lot off Mile Hill Road near Cochran House and walk past the baseball fields.

In Good Dogs, Great Listeners, Charlotte has the pesky habit of abandoning a book in favor of a distraction. Paired with her dogs and her bold imagination, that distraction has a way of turning into a grand adventure.

But when her dog, Lily, gets hurt on one of their adventures, Charlotte relies on her imagination and heart to find a way to love Lily back to health, and discovers a love for reading along the way.

The children’s book captures important themes including friendship, loyalty, imagination, and begin a good listener. Special attention is given to the human-canine relationship and literacy.

StoryWalk was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vt., and was developed with the help of Rachel Senechal, Kellogg-Hubbard Library. The 2021 spring event at Fairfield Hills is being made possible with support from the Newtown community, Newtown Savings Bank, and the Town of Newtown.

The Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization honoring the life of Charlotte Bacon, so all may know her and be boldly inspired. The foundation establishes and supports programs that share Charlotte’s passion, kindness, and tender care for animals, children, and families.

Learn more by visiting charlottehelenbaconfoundation.org.