Children’s book by Lancaster County native featured on Myerstown StoryWalk 

Enough Is …, a story by Lancaster County native Jessica Whipple that teaches children the difference between wants and needs, is on display now through the end of April on the Myerstown Community Library’s StoryWalk at Myerstown Community Park.

Library director Sarah Bair told LebTown that back in the spring of 2024, “a faithful patron of the library,” who, Bair added, met the Enough Is … author at an event, recommended the children’s book be featured on the library’s StoryWalk at the park.

Enough Is …, illustrated by Nicole Wong, and I Think I Think a Lot, also by Whipple and illustrated by Josée Bisaillon — a children’s book that “was inspired by the author’s experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),” according to a press release about the new StoryWalk feature — can be checked out at the Myerstown library using a Lebanon County library card.

The library’s relatively new StoryWalk has featured two other titles, with the most recent being Change Sings by Amanda Gorman and illustrated by Loren Long. As for Enough Is …, Bair said, “The illustrations are simple but beautiful, and the story is impactful.”

Myerstown Community Library prioritizes titles with important or seasonal themes for its StoryWalk. Enough Is … was a thematic match as it teaches children about contentment and a logistical match as it is 32 pages in length — the average length of a children’s book, according to Bair — and fills the StoryWalk’s 16 display panels.

“We knew that we wanted to feature a new story in the new year, and after reading the book and evaluating the text, I made the final decision to feature the story in late winter [2024]/early spring 2025,” Bair stated. “The other staff member involved in the decision was Nadia Cruz, the person who prepares the stories for our StoryWalk.”

In early spring of this year, the library reached out to Whipple to inform her that Enough Is … would be featured on the StoryWalk, marking the first time the author interacted with the library and the first time one of her titles would be featured on a StoryWalk.

When asked what goes into preparing the StoryWalk for a new feature, Bair said, “This can be a time-consuming process. Unfortunately, our StoryWalk is occasionally vandalized or sustains damage from the environment, and we find that purchasing materials to replace the plexiglass display panels can be expensive.”

Once a new title is selected for StoryWalk, the library buys three copies. Cruz deconstructs the books and lays out the pages on the panels, then she mats the pages to pieces of construction paper and typically laminates the compositions to prevent them from sustaining weather damage while on display.

Cruz fastens the final compositions to “plastic corrugated cardboard signs that slide into the plexiglass display panels,” according to Bair. Then, the library reaches out to board member and borough employee Steve Wohlbruck, who installs the StoryWalk at the park with help from the Myerstown Borough Public Works Department.

“Our StoryWalk is definitely a labor of love and team effort,” Bair said. “None of this would be possible without Nadia, Steve, and the Public Works Department staff!”

The Myerstown Community Library’s StoryWalk features a story told in 16 display panels to be read consecutively starting at the Myerstown Community Pool and proceeding along a 0.1-mile paved loop.

StoryWalk at the park was created in collaboration with the borough, which purchased materials for the community project and was reimbursed with grant funds.

In July 2023, then-library director Amy Davis earned a grant for more than $7,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The funds were used to purchase permanent displays, printed StoryWalk signage, and other materials for the installation of the community project.

“IMLS is an important organization that distributes federal funding through grants to libraries across the United States; in particular, rural libraries like ours receive necessary funding for educational outreach projects that contribute to the growth of our community,” Bair said. “This project would not have been possible without the grant funding from IMLS.”

Myerstown Community Library plans to feature an interactive carnival-themed story on its StoryWalk in May for the first annual Myerstown Carnival. Along with the story’s pages, the StoryWalk display panels will showcase maps of the carnival grounds.

Read More: First annual Myerstown carnival scheduled for Memorial Day weekend

As for Whipple, she remained in communication with the Myerstown library and, once StoryWalk was updated, she traveled to snap a picture with her book at the park.

The Lancaster County native told LebTown that since her book was selected to be featured on StoryWalk, she might reach out to some Lebanon County schools about potential author visits.

She said Enough Is … is particularly well-suited for visits to elementary schools as it often supports their wants vs. needs curriculum.

Whipple said the book’s message is for adults, too – including its author. “I’m always working to remind myself to be content,” she said. “Sometimes I will be somewhere and see something I want, like, I don’t know, for example, a dress or something. I’ll remind myself, ‘No, you don’t need that particular dress. You wrote a book about this.’ And then, I’m quickly put in my place.”