Raccoon tale kicks off fall Storybook Trails

Jefferson City's Storybook Trails are returning for the fall season with a lesson-packed story about a raccoon named Chester.

"Chester the Brave" will be available at noon Sept. 14-28 at Memorial Park.

The book, written by Audrey Penn, uses Chester the raccoon to teach children lessons about bravery and overcoming fear.

The Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department provides the Storybook Trails four times a year for the community.

Families will be able to read the book, page by page, as they make their way along the trails at Memorial Park. The pages will be on display on large signs with numbers to keep track and make sure a page isn't missed along the way.

Storybook trails are within the 5- to 8-year-old reading level but provide a chance for the whole family to get outside and be active together.

The Storybook Trails are a partnership between JC Parks, Scholastic Inc. and Luetkemeyer Signs.

JC Parks plans to set up "Curious George Visits the Zoo" on Oct. 5 on the West Edgewood Greenway trail. The book will be available until Oct. 19.

Typically, two trails are set up each spring and fall. Earlier this year, JC Parks featured "I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo" on the West Edgewood Greenway trail and "The Way Back Home" at Memorial Park.