Reach Out and Read

Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek are two of the most remarkable, beloved writers and illustrators working in children's books today. Working both together and separately, they have created dozens of well-known and acclaimed books—and show no signs of slowing down! In a rare interview, Kevin and Laura share their creative process, and how finding an 'emotional truth' is at the heart of all their stor...

How we think and talk about kids and digital media use has evolved as we've learned more and refined better approaches that are more practical for parents.  Dr. Jenny Radesky, Co-Medical Director of the AAP's Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, joins us to talk about "The 5 C's" - a straightforward and highly effective way for parents to manage this challenging topic.

We can all benefit from healthy relationships and connections, but sometimes kids (and adults) just want some 'alone time' - and that's OK too.  Author and illustrator Vera Brosgol joins us to dig into several of her fantastically imaginative book worlds that help explore relationships with our family, and ourselves.

Poetry is often perceived to be "hard" or inaccessible, but as our next guests illustrate, poetry can offer an "uplifting journey through everyday moments, moods and experiences" for kids at any age or stage of development. Author Matthew Burgess and illustrator Doug Salati join us to talk about "Words With Wings", their magical new book of poems for children and families.

How can one discuss topics such as social exclusion, anxiety, paranoia, human intimacy, affection, and our need to bond with others?  A brilliant book,  The Hedgehog's Dilemma , by Dutch author Toon Tellegen, is a "metaphor for the dilemma humans are faced with in their intimate relationships with others", exploring all this in an accessible manner for adults and children alike.  Its English trans...

Approaching families with a 'resilience lens' is a relatively new practice but might turn out to be one of the most impactful tools in our pediatric toolbox yet.  Dr. Gretchen Pianka, author of "Coaching Families for Resilience: How Pediatricians Can Support Caregivers and Prevent Burnout", joins us to talk about how this manner of thinking can help parents and pediatric care clinicians better app...

Relationships have long been recognized as a catalyst of learning; changing our focus away from a solely child-centric model of education to relationship-centered thinking may prove to be the key to success.  Isabelle Hau, Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, joins us to talk about her new book  Love to Learn: The Transformative Power of Care and Connection in Early Educati...

Despite humans having read for thousands of years, we still don't understand everything about how it happens.  It is still a mystery of how the eye, mind, and the brain are called upon to perform tasks that are fundamentally 'unnatural'.  Dr. Adrian Johns, Chair of the Department of History at the University of Chicago, joins us to talk about how all this has been explored throughout history, laid...

Kids (and adults) sometimes have a hard time accepting unique characteristics in themselves and in others.  But when a book lands just right, sometimes the simplest format – a picture book – can have the greatest impact on how we view ourselves, others, and the world.  Author and illustrator Barney Saltzberg joins us to talk about how picture books invite us to embrace curiosity, vulnerability and...

It's overwhelming to form a relationship with a new baby while your relationship with yourself as a new parent is in flux!  Keeping it simple is one of the ways parents can get through a challenging but rewarding time.  Dr. Joanna Parga-Belinkie, a clinical neonatologist and author of "The Baby Bonding Book", explains how one-on-one time and getting 'back to basics' can create the needed building...

In Part 2 of our interview with Allison Pugh, professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University and author of "The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World", we talk about what  "connective labor" means for early relational health, and can how physicians, practitioners, and caregivers can apply this theory to their everyday interactions with children.

How people connect to one another is something we sometimes don't think about, and how technology touches modern life is a key factor.   Allison Pugh, Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University and author of a notable book on this subject, joins us to talk about how, and why, the human connections now at risk in our tech-driven lives are worth fighting for.

Dr. Clare Crosh and Dr. Diogo  Anyigbo join us to talk about what they have learned from families about how they view and practice shared reading and how that can inform messaging and resources that inspire and enable families to sing, tell stories and share books with their young children.

Addressing childcare and education in this country has been a challenge for decades, but according to our next guest, fixing it comes down to one thing - acknowledging that we're thinking about the whole system upside-down, and flipping it right-side-up. Dan Wuori, known globally for his uplifting and educational social media, joins us to talk about his new book, "The Daycare Myth: What We Get Wro...

What does early relational health have to do with getting your kids to put their shoes on? Julie King, co-author of "How to Talk So Little Ones Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Age 2-7", offers a series of parenting tools that lean into emotional intelligence and foster early relational health.

For nearly 50 years, Lois Lowry's books have adeptly tackled friendship, loyalty, fear, comfort, family, war, political oppression, love, grief, racism, and so much more – and usually from the perspective of the children themselves. Lois Lowry joins us to share how, through writing, she tries "to convey her passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends up...

Every so often, a book comes along that allows parents and children to slow down together, engage, and experience the joy of reading a book that requires, and then rewards, looking closely at everything that book has to offer.  Famed author and illustrator Loren Long joins us to talk about The Yellow Bus , a magical new children's book that does exactly that.

Instead of 'Screen Time', try 'Green Time'! Dr. Pooja Tandon and Dr. Danette Glassy, co-authors of the new book "Digging Into Nature: Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids" join us to talk about a growing body of evidence behind the mental and physical benefits nature offers to children, ideas for nature-based activities, and ways to overcome common challenges busy families face when t...

In the fifth and final episode in our multi-part series on poverty and early relational health we look inside our organization and examine the work Reach Out and Read is doing to help families experiencing material hardship. Ruth Coleman, Alex Chu, and Callee Boulware outline how we can use our long-standing experience and in-depth research to focus on under-resourced communities and support meani...

Positive, supportive interactions with children may help mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences resulting from poverty. Continuing our spotlight series on poverty and early relational health, Dr. Kate Rosenblum, co-Director of Zero to Thrive at the University of Michigan, joins us to talk about how aligning programs like ours can "promote the health and resilience of families from c...

How can families help prepare their children for school when they're working multiple jobs, or struggling to buy groceries? Reading a book together can seem like a lot when all your energy is focused on meeting the basic needs of your family.  Evidence-based home visiting programs like Parents as Teachers can help with some of these challenges. Jennifer Bronsdon and Emily Callahan of Parents as Te...

There's a significant amount of data on childhood poverty, but the numbers only tell one part of the story. Cristi Carman and Dr. Philip Fisher of Stanford University join us to talk about how to decipher complex data to better understand the experiences, challenges, and resiliency of young children and their families experiencing material hardship.

AAP policy statements are powerful, well-researched, and meticulously-reviewed principles on the state-of-the-art in children's health.  Yesterday, the AAP released their latest Policy Statement: "Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice", and an accompanying extensive Technical Report outlining the substantial supporting research evidence. Drs. Perri Klass and...

How can we talk about poverty and early relational health so people will listen? How can you get people to care about public issues that seem insurmountable (but aren't)? Nicholas Kristof, op-ed columnist for The New York Times, joins us to talk about strategies for how to talk about difficult subjects so people will listen (hint: it starts with a story.)

Celebrating their 25th anniversary, Reach Out and Read Greater New York provides books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read programs in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. Executive Director Emily Marchese joins us to talk about the joys — and challenges — of serving one of the largest, and most diverse affiliates in the country...