“I’m excited to give kids a chance to practice their reading and hear some wonderful stories,” said Obama

(Source Newsone)

Written By NewsOne Staff

Posted April 18, 2020

      Former first lady Michelle Obama has led several global initiatives surrounding education, and she wants to ensure that the youth are connected to literature amid the coronavirus lockdown. According to CNN, she is launching a virtual weekly storytime series for children.

Obama has teamed up with Penguin Random House and PBS Kids for the creation of a new read-aloud series dubbed Mondays with Michelle Obama. During the four-part series—which kicked off on April 20—Obama will read four classic children’s books in an effort to encourage youngsters to practice their literacy skills. Among the books that will be featured are The Gruffalo which was written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, There’s a Dragon in Your Book illustrated by Greg Abbott and written by Tom Fletcher, Miss Maple’s Seeds written and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Obama will host a virtual read-aloud session every Monday through May 11. The readings will be live-streamed on PBS Kids’ YouTube channel and Facebook page.

“As a little kid, I loved to read aloud,” Obama said in a statement. “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.”

The series is a part of a larger initiative being led by Penguin Random House named Read Together, Be Together; a literacy campaign that the publishing company launched in collaboration with Parents magazine. It is also a part of PBS Kids Read-Alongs which enlists celebrities to host virtual readings of children’s books.