.Our Shared Story was a 9 month project from December 2024 to August 2025 borne out of our 3 year Playful Places, Playful People Project. Supported by The National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund. The project aim was to create an illustrated picture book, aimed at under 5s but for all of the family to enjoy. Inspired by Wolves Play Cafe’s exploratory play approach, play sessions and a love of the world around us!. ‘A Walk in the Woods’ celebrates 6 years of playing across the city in beautiful nature havens on our doorsteps!.

With illustrations by a local illustrator Jennifer Wren Designs, and a story co-produced with our playful team, the book aims to celebrate the simplicity of play and the opportunities of exploring the world around us. The storybook draws inspiration from early years foundation research to support learning opportunities through play for readers big and small. This blog shares the journey and outcomes of the project and how the storybook was created.

Co-Founder Lisa Stallard at “A Walk in the Woods” book launch with first edition copy of storybook

Why a Story book?

Impact – Play – Investment – Legacy

Impact – Reaching young children, the families we serve and our wider community.

Play – Sharing our passion for open-ended, exploratory play and modelling simple play for caregivers.

Investment – Creating a product to contribute to the organisation’s income-generation strategy and developing accessible play in the city.

Legacy – Building the legacy of Wolves Play Cafe, passing on stories and memories for families beyond the Playful People, Playful Places project.

Project Journey

The team began research by consulting local creative practitioners and authors in Wolverhampton, taking part in storytelling workshops facilitated by our project lead, creating storyboards, and researching children’s books as inspiration for producing our own story.

The team developed a main character called “Woody”, based on the Wolves Play Cafe wolf logo. Along with themes for storytelling that complement the early years foundation framework such as exploring the world around us, counting, rhythm, emotions and identifying objects by name to support the learning of young readers.

Storytelling ideas were gathered from local young children to be used as inspiration and collaboration for the storybook.

The illustrations created by Jennifer Saunders, aim to capture a realistic representation of the outdoor settings of our nature play sessions for recognition amongst readers.

Project Lead Tia Manomano with Co-Founder Helen Stallard, researching childrens book at the onset of project

Book Launch - Saturday 19th July 2025

The book launch took place at Boundary Way allotments and community garden on Saturday 19th July 2025. The launch included a storytime of the new book, nature-play with a nature craft activity creating seed mosaic tiles inspired by the plot in the story to later be created into a collage mural to be displayed in the Boundary Way community garden picnic hut. A total of 57 attendees at the A Walk in the Woods book launch including 27 under 7’s and 30 adults. Local families were able to take part in a new collaborative open-ended activity through arts and crafts materials. A total of 150 first edition books were printed with some to be donated to local community spaces such as libraries, stay and play groups and nurseries.

Local Engagement and Impact

At the launch, children were invited to give their feedback by creating their own story in response to the illustrations in the book “A Walk in the Woods”. Using image prompts to create their own illustrations or share their thoughts and feelings in response to the story.

Children at the launch were able to share their thoughts around the story through pictures and written feedback as a form of supporting childrens voice

In August during the school summer holidays, we collaborated with Wolverhampton Libraries to deliver storytime and craft sessions in 3 local libraries for families: Whitmore Reans Library, Warstones Library and Wolverhampton Central Library. The sessions included nursery rhymes, story time of “A Walk in the Woods” and a craft activity creating a ladybird inspired by the ladybird character in the story book.

We invited children and staff from All Saints Nursery and Low Hill Nursery to engage with our project, to facilitate an activity with in their setting using early illustrations from the story book as visual prompts to gain feedback of what they understand about our story through the images.

Craft activity at the library reading sessions during the summer holidays

Inspiring families to play

Families shared how reading “A Walk in the Woods” inspired them to play at home and encouraging activities beyond reading the book. Replicating activities directly inspired by the storyline of “A Walk in the Woods” such as recreating their own bug hotel, or making a pond space in their garden.

The story inspired a lcoal family to build a bug hotel in their garden

What went well?

Local caregivers and children attended our book launch to listen to our story being read for the first time.

25 local community settings will receive the book to use in the spaces for families who access their services.

Income generation to support creating accessible play opportunities for families in the city.

Creating a story that is inspired by the way we play in sessions and supporting memories of the organisation.

How Can I Support?