David Farnor | On 22, Apr 2020

Michelle Obama will be reading children’s books online on Mondays to help families during the coronavirus lockdown.

The former First Lady of he USA is teaming up with Penguin Young Readers, Random House Children’s Books and PBS KIDS for the online series, which will see her read four books online for free. In support of the “Read Together, Be Together” literacy initiative, she will take to Facebook and YouTube to stream her reading the books.

Michelle Obama said in a statement: “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).”

Called Mondays with Michelle Obama, the series will run for four weeks – and kicked off with The Gruffalo on Monday 20th April. Missed the first one? Don’t worry, you can catch it on-demand at Penguin Random House’s Facebook page, PBS KIDS’ YouTube channel – or below.

Here’s the full line-up:

The Gruffallo – 20th April (5pm)

Written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler

There’s a Dragon in Your Book – 27th April (5pm)

Written by Tom Fletcher and illustrated by Greg Abbott

Miss Maple’s Seeds – 4th May (5pm)

Story and pictures by Eliza Wheeler

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – 11th May (5pm)

By Eric Carle

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