Visiting Storybook Farm is like entering a fairytale. Horses dot the pristine landscape munching blades of green grass while dogs frolic about, donkeys bray, and cats nap in the sun. But this farm is much more than just a feel-good story. It’s a place of hope. It’s a place where children who are enduring challenges and losses can learn to feel happy again instead of feeling vulnerable and alone. It’s a place where children can thrive through their hardships, not just survive them.  

Within a unique community of support, children who participate in Storybook programming realize they are not alone. They learn to cope and heal. They find strength. And through compassion, connection, and play, children get to reclaim the wonder of childhood . . . and be just kids again. 

Once Upon a Time

Every tale has a beginning and this one began in 2002, when Dena Little, Storybook’s Founder, asked, “What does it mean for childhood to go well?”. She believed it meant there’s time for play, education, friendships, and a gradual discovery of the world. But what happens to children whose childhoods have been blighted by hardships and tragedy?

At Storybook Farm, Dena studied that question and answered with innovative animal and nature-based programs that have blazed a trail to strengthen and protect youth development. While the idea that animals could help children learn and heal emotionally was revolutionary back in that day, the benefits today are clear and evident.  A child’s early years can have lifelong physical, social, and emotional impacts. While positive experiences and environments can set up a young child on a stronger life-long path, traumatic experiences or environments during those formative years can have long-lasting, detrimental impact. 

The Characters

By focusing on four interconnected areas, education, literacy, health, and environmental stewardship, equitable conditions are created so all children can succeed.  Storybook’s programs promote a positive sense of self and provide support for children’s psychological, physical, emotional, and social well-being. They center around what children are passionate about, what they are interested in, and what they love.

In the Secret Garden, children harvest a bunch more than just food and flowers. They discover science and math while being immersed in a sensory cornucopia of fragrant rosemary, colorful tomatoes, and sun-soaked strawberries. Not only does the Secret Garden encourage curiosity and exploration, but also education and a sense of accomplishment.

There is something incredibly powerful that nature is uniquely capable of doing to a child’s mind and body, and it starts with getting children moving. Studies agree that kids who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious than kids who spend more time indoors. On Storybook’s Discovery Trail, stress decreases and mindfulness increases. Authentic learning takes place among nature’s loose parts of sticks and stones.

With tails wagging, our pups make a huge difference in a child’s physical independence and emotional well-being. These amazingly patient and loving dogs build confidence and teach responsibility while encouraging social skills and helping children manage their emotions. All the animals at Storybook are named after literary characters from Jiminy Cricket and Professor Henry Higgins to Prince Charming and Mr. Smee. Beloved childhood stories are brought to life igniting a child’s imagination.

The heroes of this fairytale can be found helping children learn, grow, and heal whether it’s with a ride in Paddington Station Arena or as they stand patiently and listen to a child’s inner thoughts. It’s the horses that are making dreams come true, granting wishes, and adding the magic to Storybook Farm.  Sometimes it’s easier for children to develop relationships with animals than with people. People can be hard to understand, but with animals what you see is what you get. They are pure, consistent, and accepting.  Kindness is not just reciprocated; it’s multiplied.

Thousands of children have had their childhoods enriched and their futures brightened while on this Storybook journey, but for one family in particular, Storybook has been the constant presence of hope and encouragement they needed.

Ten-year-old Brody could not have been more surprised if he had walked up the gangplank into Noah’s ark that first day as he and his younger twin sisters, Blakely and Lacey, arrived at the farm. There were miniature horses and donkeys in a pasture, gigantic horses in a gigantic barn, small, medium, and large dogs prancing about in the dog park, and a few well-fed cats atop a stack of hay, not to mention the dozens of college students ready to be his best friend. It was a lot to take in for a kid who was nonverbal until he was four years old. Brody has a rare genetic disorder called Potocki-Lupski Syndrome along with autism and an anxiety disorder.

Storybook gives Brody the chance to be a regular kid. In the beginning, he could only ride his favorite pony, Sebastian, for a few minutes. It was an exhilarating few minutes, but he would get too overstimulated and nervous. Now he rides for an hour and has even learned to trot! After his lesson is over, he takes charge and leads Sebastian back to his stall. He knows all the horses’ names and can even spot them at a distance. He takes walks along the Discovery Trail touching textures, listening to the particular sounds of nature, and being encouraged to play and explore. He reads to the pups and finds a calm that’s hard to come by.

For his mother, Audrey, Storybook is the answer to her prayers. “He was like, do I get to ride my horse today?” she recalled. “I was crying because I knew I had finally found the perfect place to help my children. What I was expecting wasn’t nearly as special as what we have received. I didn’t realize siblings automatically got to participate. I didn’t realize the people here would become like family. Our heart beats for Storybook now.”

There’s no program like Storybook Farm within 500 miles. Before Storybook, Audrey and her family often felt isolated and alone. Now, they have community and relationships that provide healing and support. “At Storybook, people come and put their troubles and schedules aside to serve and bring joy and normalize children’s lives,” Audrey said.

This family’s hardships are not uncommon at Storybook Farm. Over 3,000 children participate annually in multi-faceted activities that teach critical life and coping skills making an impact that extends far beyond childhood.