Chat-n-Read: New dramatic read-alouds of children's books

While we were all hunkered down during this global pandemic, I started a project I’ve been interested in for years: a youtube channel called Chat-n-Read, dedicated to connecting with kids, including a little chatting and a little dramatic reading of children’s books.

I have always loved to read out loud. Before I could actually read, I was still “reading” picture books aloud (how many of us did that? Or see our children doing that? It’s wonderful!). Books transport us to somewhere else, with rich characters and intricate worlds, just like theater. Reader’s Theater and dramatic readings of books are a natural link.

So while plays are being canceled or postponed, when classes and readings have been moved online, we are all exploring how to stay connected during a time when we need to be apart. Admittedly, I do not have more time to create projects right now (I have less time actually), but the desire to create and connect is just as strong. And, as a recent Netflix documentary explained to me, engaging in new creative experiences gives your creative brain a boost, as we crave that challenge. Welcome to my new challenge!

So enjoy some of my humble videos here! I have had fun learning imovie, loved reading books I’ve shared with my kids over the years, enjoyed sharing and asking questions in my intro videos, and been annoyed that my iphone doesn’t have more gb of storage! :) All this combined (well, minus the iphone storage thing) gives you my upbeat, somewhat quirky intro videos (from carbon dioxide to egg teeth and ice cream in the mail!) and my dramatic readings of classics like The Piggy in the Puddle to a short non-fiction tale in The Emperor’s Egg (coming soon) to books in the Elephant and Piggie series like I Will Surprise My Friend.

Check out my Chat-n-Read page here with a complete list of read-alouds or my Chat-n-Read youtube channel here. Happy Creating and stay well!