Two Central Park residents have newly published books: one to inspire readers to “let go of goals and embrace uncertainty” and another to help parents get their children to sleep at night.

Walk: 12 Months, 12 Journeys, 1,200 Miles

By Carol Fennell

Carol Fennell is both an artist and writer. She has been featured in Front Porch for her Purple Poppy Project at Stanley Marketplace and most recently for the 28-day, 500-mile walk she and her husband Karl completed in 2025.

The hike was in honor of Carol’s young nephew, Davis, who was diagnosed with a missing chromosome that may impede his future ability to walk.

In her new book, Walk: 12 Months, 12 Journeys, 1,200 Miles, Carol writes about the 12 treks the pair completed before their 2025 journey. Carol and Karl walked across the globe to Portugal, California, and Croatia. She said the walks prepared them to go even further last year.

The book is more than a travel narrative. She said, “Walk speaks to readers drawn to nature, travel, mindfulness, or simply to stories that stir the heart.” She reflected on what it means to “let go of goals, embrace uncertainty, and allow the path itself to be enough.”

Walk: 12 Months, 12 Journeys, 1,200 Miles will be released March 3 and will be available through book events, select retailers, and Amazon.

Tangible Tales: Critters and Crops

By Joe Augustine

The book was written to create a “bedtime experience,” Joe Augustine said, with the goal of helping kids fall asleep.

Augustine didn’t want to tell a story; he wanted the story to be accompanied by the “calming power of touch.”

The inspiration for Tangible Tales: Critters and Crops came from his own experience as a child, where nightly back scratches were a “welcome treat at the end of the day.” He started the same routine with his own kids.

Augustine said his experience is backed by research that supports what many parents instinctively know: Gentle, nurturing touch helps soothe children, regulate stress, and strengthen emotional bonds. And adding calming physical contact to bedtime routines can improve sleep quality and help children fall asleep more easily, especially those who struggle with sensory regulation, including some children on the autism spectrum.

“It’s not just about reading a book,” Augustine said. “It’s about creating a calming experience that carries your children into the world of dreams.”

Tangible Tales: Critters and Crops is available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble and other retailers.