“Mondays with Michelle Obama” Extended

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• Published on May 11, 2020 • Last modified on August 17, 2020

Four Additional Storytimes with Penguin Random House and PBS KIDS to Stream on YouTube and Facebook on May 18 and May 25, Featuring Special Surprise Guests

(Monday, May 11, NEW YORK, NY)—Penguin Young Readers, Random House Children’s Books, and PBS KIDS today announced that “Mondays with Michelle Obama,” its special collaboration with the former First Lady of the United States, will be extended with four new storytimes on Monday, May 18, and Monday, May 25. On each of those dates, two new videos from “Mondays with Michelle Obama” will live-stream back-to-back on Facebook and YouTube, with Mrs. Obama being joined by surprise special guests for one of the two children’s books she will read aloud.

The popular storytimes “Mondays with Michelle Obama” (#PBSKIDSRead, #ReadTogetherBeTogether) began on Monday, April 20, on Facebook and YouTube, in support of Penguin Random House’s recently launched Read Together, Be Together literacy initiative and PBS KIDS’s “Read-Along” effort.

“Mondays with Michelle Obama” are livestreamed simultaneously at 12 noon EDT on PBS KIDS’ Facebook page and YouTube channel, and on Penguin Random House’s Facebook page, and will be available for viewing on demand on all of those platforms immediately thereafter.

The additional episodes of “Mondays with Michelle Obama” will feature Mrs. Obama reading aloud from four beloved children’s books:

May 18, 12 noon EDT: GIRAFFE PROBLEMS written by Jory John; illustrated by Lane Smith

THE BEAR ATE YOUR SANDWICH *with a special surprise guest*, written and illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

May 25, 12 noon EDT: OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss

CAN I BE YOUR DOG? *with a special surprise guest*, written and illustrated by Troy Cummings

A suite of activities, tips, and resources for each of the books that Mrs. Obama will read are available at readtogetherbetogether.com, and companion literacy resources are available on pbskidsforparents.org.

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Read Together, Be Together
The U.S. children’s divisions of Penguin Random House, with Parents magazine, launched in March 2020 READ TOGETHER, BE TOGETHER (#ReadTogetherBeTogether), a nationwide movement that celebrates the importance and power of reading with young children. Originally slated to launch in summer 2020 with nationwide retail, educator, and consumer activations, the program began sooner in light of the COVID-19 crisis, with a series of daily virtual storytimes with bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators and celebrity readers. The dedicated website, readtogetherbetogether.com, will also host reading tips for parents and caregivers, developed with Parents magazine, as well as an extensive list of recommended age-appropriate books.

PBS KIDS Read-Alongs
To encourage family engagement and a love of reading during this time at home, PBS KIDS offers families a place to come together and read along with fan favorites on YouTube and Facebook. PBS KIDS Read-Alongs have included storytimes with Brad Meltzer (XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM), Marc Brown (ARTHUR), Victoria Kann (PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC), Angela Santomero (DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD) and more, on the PBS KIDS Facebook page and YouTube channel. Along with storytime of a beloved book, each PBS KIDS Read-Along is designed to encourage engagement among families who tune in, with activity ideas and questions that spark conversation.

Penguin Young Readers Group is one of the leading children’s book publishers in the United States. The company owns a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Dial Books, Dutton, Kokila, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Razorbill, Viking, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning New York Times bestselling authors as Laurie Halse Anderson, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Roald Dahl, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Mike Lupica, Ransom Riggs, Ruta Sepetys, Sabaa Tahir, Jacqueline Woodson, and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as the Little Engine That Could, the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh, the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Mad Libs, the Last Kids on Earth, and the Rangers Apprentice, among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books include Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, Crown Books for Young Readers, Delacorte Press, Doubleday Books for Young Readers, Make Me a World, The Princeton Review, Random House Books for Young Readers, Random House Graphic, Rodale Books, Schwartz & Wade Books, and Wendy Lamb Books. These imprints bring together award-winning and bestselling authors and illustrators, including Christopher Paul Curtis, Carl Hiaasen, Emily Winfield Martin, R. J. Palacio, Christopher Paolini, Philip Pullman, Rebecca Stead, Nicola Yoon, and Markus Zusak, along with world-famous brands such as Dr. Seuss, the Magic Tree House, and Little Golden Books. Random House Children’s Books is also home to a variety of licensed publishing, including Richard Scarry, Disney, Marvel, and Nickelodeon. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

PBS KIDS, the number-one educational media brand for kids, offers children ages 2 to 8 the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital media, and community-based programs. PBS KIDS and local stations across the country support the entire ecosystem in which children learn, including their teachers, parents, and community. Provided by stations, the free PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream is available to more than 95% of U.S. TV households. Kidscreen and Webby Award–winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. PBS KIDS offers mobile apps to help support young children’s learning, including the PBS KIDS Video app, which is available on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung TV, and Chromecast. PBS KIDS also offers parent and teacher resources to support children’s learning anytime and anywhere. For more information on PBS KIDS content and initiatives supporting school reading and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

#ReadTogetherBeTogether
readtogetherbetogether.com

#PBSKIDSRead
pbskidsforparents.org

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
By Dr. Seuss / Random House Books for Young Readers
On Sale: January 22, 1990 | 56 pages | Ages: All
Hardcover: 978-0-679-80527-4 | $18.99/$24.99
GLB: 978-0-679-90527-1 | $21.99/$28.99
Ebook: 9780385371988

¡Oh, cúan lejos llegarás! (Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Spanish Edition)
On sale 3/26/2019 | HC: 978-0-525-70733-2

THE BEAR ATE YOUR SANDWICH
By Julia Sarcone-Roach
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
On Sale: January 6, 2015 | 40 pages | Ages: 3–7
Hardcover: 978-0-375-85860-4 | $16.99/$19.99
Trade Paperback: 978-1-9848-5209-0 | $7.99/$10.99
GLB: 978-0-375-95860-1 | $19.99/$23.99
Ebook: 978-0-307-98242-1 | $7.99/$9.99

GIRAFFE PROBLEMS
By Jory John; illustrated by Lane Smith
Random House Books for Young Readers
On Sale: September 25, 2018 | 42 pages | Ages 3–7
Hardcover: 978-1-5247-7203-1 | $17.99/$23.99
GLB: 978-1-5247-7204-8 | $20.99/$27.99
Ebook: 978-1-5247-7205-5 | $10.99/$11.99
Board (on sale June 9, 2020): 978-0-593-12772-8 | $8.99/$11.99

Contacts:
Dominique Cimina (PRH) dcimina@penguinrandomhouse.com
Maria Vera Whelan (PBS KIDS) mverawhelan@pbs.org