Step into favorite childhood books at Kansas Children's Discovery Center's new exhibit

You, too, were once a child with a favorite book.

You, too, darted through Mr. McGregor's garden with Peter Rabbit, and you followed the lowercase letters up to the cup of the coconut tree. You searched for the mischievous yellow puppy Spot, saw firsthand when frogs took to the sky on a Tuesday, and learned exactly what happens if you dare to feed a mouse a cookie.

Why not once more?

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As part of a special exhibit through the rest of 2022, the Kansas Children's Discovery Center is inviting children and their families to step into their favorite childhood stories and see them from an entirely new perspective.

"Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites," a touring exhibit designed by the Minnesota Children's Museum, features seven beloved books from the past century of children's literature. They include "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter; "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats; "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault; "Where's Spot?" by Eric Hill; "Abuela" by Arthur Dorros; "Tuesday" by David Wiesner; and "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff.

Children take the lead in telling their own versions of favorite childhood books

The exhibit puts children and families directly into the action of those stories — using interactive activities, models and copies of the books — while leaving children ample room to fill in gaps in the stories with their imaginations and make them their own.

Each activity, available in both English and Spanish, is child led, and children can visit Peter Rabbit's burrow, peer through the inside and outside of the Statue of Liberty, match up letters as they climb toward the top of a tall coconut tree in the middle of the exhibit and figure out the best recipe to make a cookie.

"It's a diverse selection of books and a diverse group of authors, and there's something that every child at every level of interest can connect to," said Dené Mosier, president and CEO of the Kansas Children's Discovery Center. "That's what makes this exciting for all ages. There are things here that will resonate with grandparents and toddlers alike."

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Reading skills begin at birth, Mosier said, and they're honed through conversations and experiences adults and other caregivers share with children as they begin to read. The children's museum, then, is hoping to encourage those practices by providing the exhibit, while also giving tips on how to build on literacy skills.

"Literacy begins in utero, even when children are first hearing voices, and listening to the cadence of speech," Mosier said. "When we put books into their tiny little infant hands, they learn to hold them. They learn to turn the pages, and they learn about colors and symbols. It's absolutely critical that we are giving kids these early literacy experiences, and when we do it with books that we as parents love, it comes across."

Each of the book stations has detail at every height level, and the exhibit is designed almost like a maze to encourage children to explore. It's a unique perspective that gives children the feeling that they're actually walking into a story they may have recently read, either by themselves or with a caregiver, Mosier said.

Lacreisha Banks and her son Isaiah, 5, and godson Axston Steel, 4, got a special sneak peek of the exhibit a few days before it officially opened. The boys darted around the exhibit as they crunched their way through a snowy avenue, dialed a vintage rotary phone and played with the musical rhyme of the letters falling down the coconut tree.

Banks, who regularly reads with Isaiah, said she really appreciated the chance to share the experience of visiting the stories in real life with the boys.

"It opens up their minds about what they can learn, and it's such a hands-on experience for them," Banks said. "We're always trying to find new things to do with, just so they stay active and engaged in their learning."

How to see Storyland at Kansas Children's Discovery Center

"Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites" opens Friday at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center. The exhibit, which is included in regular admission, runs through Jan. 2.

Entry to the exhibit is included in regular admission — $9 for adults, $8 for seniors older than 65, and free for infants under 12 months and Discovery Center members.

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Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Museum staff plan on hosting extended hours during schools' winter breaks.

Each book will be uniquely celebrated during different weeks of the exhibit, Mosier said, with the museum partnering with various community organizations on activities and lessons tied to each story.

Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com or by phone at ‪785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka's Kansas Children's Discovery Center opens Storyland exhibit