Michael Fatigante and his father, Kyle Fatigante, stroll the new Storybook Trail at Barwick Park. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Faran Fagen
You can enjoy an underwater pizza party as you stroll along Storybook Trail at Barwick Park. You just have to use your imagination.
Crafting creativity is just what the city of Delray Beach and its Kiwanis Club had in mind when the storytelling trail debuted on April 13.
Children’s book author Mike Lowery’s Pizza Shark: A Fin-tastic Feast, is the first book to adorn the walking path for young children — and their parents and grandparents — to enjoy at no cost.
“It’s a wonderful way for families to enjoy walking and reading together, and helps foster the love of reading,” said Diane Colonna, president of the Delray Beach Kiwanis Club. “It also builds the relationships between parents, grandparents and children.”
As visitors walk along the trail at 735 Barwick Road, they’ll encounter 16 stations displaying pages from a children’s book, creating a fun and engaging reading adventure in nature.
“It’s educational value, physical value and entertainment value,” said Joel Davidson, chairman of the Storybook Trail committee. “We intend to instill a love of reading with this project.”
Delray Beach Kiwanis Club member Joel Davidson, who envisioned the project with the city, brings hard copies of the book on display to hand to visitors.
Each book will remain for three months, offering a fresh reading adventure each season.
The trail caters to children in kindergarten through third grade — but the large visuals and pictures can appeal to everyone.
The second book to be displayed on the trail this summer will be Ross Burach’s Make Way for Butterfly, a riotous adventure in the Very Impatient Caterpillar series.
The third and fourth books, in the latter half of 2026, are about learning sign language and a penguin who dreams of being an astronaut, respectively. The committee is in the process of picking out books for 2027.
Storybook Trails have been popping up in all 50 states and 12 countries. Local schools, and even day-care facilities, can use the trails for educational and physical fitness purposes.
Davidson, who moved to Delray Beach from Tamarac in 2021, enjoyed the storybook trail at Tamarac’s Waters Edge Park, and hoped to create another trail in Delray Beach.
“People aren’t reading as much anymore,” Davidson said. “People don’t have books at home. It’s important to see words and pictures in front of them. It’s educational.”
In 2022, Davidson approached the city with the idea. A $4,500 grant was procured from Kiwanis, which the city matched. In November 2024, the project was approved.
In March 2026, the concrete was laid for 18 stations. The first station is a welcome board, the final station is a “thank you for coming” board, and the 16 stations in between are the pages of the chosen book.
The stations are durable enough to be weatherproof, and the pages are made of polystyrene, a material that is lightweight, flexible, and both water- and tear-resistant.
On April 13, Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney and other city dignitaries and Kiwanis officials wielded a huge pair of scissors to cut the red ribbon to officially open the trail.
City Manager Terrence Moore lives just a few miles from Barwick Park and visits often. He’s thrilled to see so many families read along the trail.
“It’s an opportunity to expose residents to literature that they would not have available otherwise,” Moore said.
Amy Hanson, parks and recreation assistant director, championed the project.
“It’s something we’re all proud of,” Moore said. “We hope young people and people of all ages can enjoy this and contribute to our parks and recreation environment.”
Davidson has frequented the Storybook Trail since the ribbon-cutting to see his vision come to life. He often brings hard copies of Pizza Shark, hands them out to excited children, and delights in seeing them smile.
He even made stickers that say, “I walked the Story Trail at Barwick Park at Delray Beach” to hand out.
“Our mission at Kiwanis is ‘one child and one community at a time,’” Davidson said.
For Colonna, the trail provides a much more direct message: “It’s a way to combine a love of nature with a love of reading,” she said.
For more information, contact Parks and Recreation at 561-243-7250, Option 3.
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