Storytime with Michelle Obama? Sign us up!
Penguin Young Readers, Random House Children’s Books, and PBS Kids are teaming up with former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama for a series of videos of Obama reading kids’ books.
Starting today, “Mondays with Michelle Obama” will kick off a four-week series of videos that will feature the former First Lady reading aloud from beloved children’s books. “Mondays with Michelle Obama” supports the recently announced #PBSKIDSRead effort on Facebook and YouTube, and Penguin Random House’s literacy initiative #ReadTogetherBeTogether. The videos will be livestreamed simultaneously at 12 p.m. EDT each Monday on PBS Kids’ Facebook page and YouTube channel, and on Penguin Random House’s Facebook page, and will remain on those platforms for on-demand viewing.
The four books Mrs. Obama will read are:
April 20: The Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler
April 27: There’s a Dragon in Your Book, written by Tom Fletcher and illustrated by Greg Abbott
May 4: Miss Maple’s Seeds, story and pictures by Eliza Wheeler
May 11: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Obama says, “As a little kid, I loved to read aloud. And when I became a parent, I found such joy in sharing the magic of storytelling with my own children — and then later, as First Lady, with kids everywhere. At this time when so many families are under so much stress, I’m excited to give kids a chance to practice their reading and hear some wonderful stories (and to give parents and caretakers a much-needed break).”
A suite of activities, tips, and resources for each of the books featured are available at readtogetherbetogether.com, and companion literacy resources are available on pbskidsforparents.org.
For more activities and resources for your family to do while staying safe at home, click here.
