'Mondays With Michelle Obama' Reading Series Kicks Off Today

Obama will spend the next four Mondays reading to our kids

There have been a lot of celebrities stepping up to help our kids fight boredom and get some much-needed entertainment during the time spent at home. Now the former first lady, Michelle Obama, is coming to us in partnership with Random House and PBS to read to our kids, starting today.

As part of the “Read Together, Be Together” Penguin Random House literacy initiative and PBS KIDS’ “Read-Along” effort, a new series called “Mondays with Michelle Obama” kicks off tonight. “Mrs. Obama reading aloud from beloved children’s books (one book every Monday through May 11),” PBS posted on their site. The show will be livestreamed simultaneously on PBS KIDS’ Facebook page and YouTube channel, and on Penguin Random House’s Facebook page, and “will remain available for viewing on demand on all of those platforms immediately thereafter.”

The four books Obama will read will be Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, on April 20; Tom Fletcher’s There’s a Dragon in Your Book, illustrated by Greg Abbott, on April 27; Eliza Wheeler’s Miss Maple’s Seeds on May 4; and Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar on May 11.

“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,” Obama said on the PBS site. “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).”

It’s true, parents most definitely need a break, but to be fair, I’m thinking our kids could use a break from us as well. They are used to seeing friends, teachers, and other family members throughout their days and being stuck inside with immediate family isn’t always ideal. If the author and mother-of-two can come into our living rooms and give our kids a momentary break from us it is most welcome.

Obama is following in the footsteps of stars like Dolly Parton who is running a similar series called “Goodnight with Dolly,” and author Mo Willems who is teaching kids how to draw in his series “Lunch Doodles.” Since most kids need to read 47 books before bed, I say the more the merrier. Let someone else read to our kids for a change.

I don’t care what age your kids are, having Michelle Obama in our living room for a few minutes to lull them to sleep reading one of the classics sounds like a perfect way to end the day.