9 Celebrities Bringing Story Time Back In The Wake Of COVID-19

Social distancing and being in lockdown can make it feel like you've exhausted your entertainment options. And while binge-watching may be at an all time high, what about binge-reading? Books will always be trusted source of enjoyment for all ages, and a growing number of celebrities are taking to social media to entertain and educate their fans who can't make it to the library right now. Recent programs such as @savewithstories and @voiceactorsread, which feature the vocal talents behind some beloved animated characters, have collaborated with celebs like Jennifer Garner and Lin-Manuel Miranda to provide fun and education for kids stuck at home during the pandemic. Most of the stories being read are from children's books, but I don't care how old you are — listening to Dolly Parton read me The Little Engine That Could was something I never knew I needed. So with that being said, here are a handful of celebrity story times that will hopefully bring you, your child, your pets, or whomever comfort. 

 Dolly Parton 

Our beloved Dolly has a new YouTube show, Goodnight with Dolly, where she'll be "reading a series of Imagination Library books all carefully chosen for their appropriate content at this moment in time." 

America Ferrera

 

 

 

 

 

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“Dragones y Tacos” por Adam Rubin, illustrado por @dansalmieri (published by @penguinkids and @penguinrandomhouse) - read by @americaferrera . THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN rely on school for food. Responding to the needs of kids during these school closures, @savethechildren and @nokidhungry have a new fund @SAVEWITHSTORIES to support food banks, and mobile meal trucks, and community feeding programs with funds to do what they do best—and also—with educational toys, books, and worksheets to make sure brains are full, as well as bellies. . If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. . Thank you and stay safe. XX #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by #SAVEWITHSTORIES (@savewithstories) on Apr 4, 2020 at 11:17am PDT

Jennifer Garner 

 

 

 

 

 

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@savewithstories was created four weeks ago to fill the bellies and minds of children impacted by school shut downs due to COVID-19. . Thanks to all of YOU, @savethechildren, an organization traditionally focused on educating kids from birth to third grade in rural America, has added feeding kids and families in some of our country’s hardest hit communities, making and delivering over 100,000 meals a day, along with books, school supplies and good old fashioned love—social distance style. . We can’t wait, when there is time to catch up and reflect, to hear the stories @nokidhungry has to share. Until then, here are excerpts from a call with some of the wonderful #SaveTheChildren staff. . If this moves you, please consider donating: visit the link in bio. Or text the word SAVE to 20222 to make a one time, $10.00 donation. . From all of us to all of you—please stay safe. And thank you. xx Jen and Amy

A post shared by #SAVEWITHSTORIES (@savewithstories) on Apr 9, 2020 at 8:47pm PDT

Gabrielle Union

 

 

 

 

 

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“Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison (published by @penguinkids and @penguinrandomhouse) - read by @gabunion . THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN rely on school for food. Responding to the needs of kids during these school closures, @savethechildren and @nokidhungry have a new fund @SAVEWITHSTORIES to support food banks, and mobile meal trucks, and community feeding programs with funds to do what they do best—and also—with educational toys, books, and worksheets to make sure brains are full, as well as bellies. . If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. . Thank you and stay safe. XX #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by #SAVEWITHSTORIES (@savewithstories) on Mar 26, 2020 at 3:12pm PDT

Sarah Natochenny

 

 

 

 

 

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You know her as Pokémon’s Ash Ketchum, but today @sarah_natochenny is going to tell us the real story of the 3 Little Pigs...

A post shared by Voice Actors Read (@voiceactorsread) on Apr 3, 2020 at 9:13pm PDT

Pamela Adlon 

 

 

 

 

 

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(by @marlothomas) on @voiceactorsread today. ❤️

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A post shared by Pamela Adlon (@pamelaadlon) on Apr 1, 2020 at 6:33pm PDT

Helen Mirren

 

 

 

 

 

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sonnet for isolation

A post shared by Helen Mirren (@helenmirren) on Mar 22, 2020 at 5:35pm PDT

Julia Louis-Dreyfus 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Yertle the Turtle” by @drseuss (published by @randomhousekids) - read by @officialjld ? . THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN rely on school for food. Responding to the needs of kids during these school closures, @savethechildren and @nokidhungry have a new fund @SAVEWITHSTORIES to support food banks, and mobile meal trucks, and community feeding programs with funds to do what they do best—and also—with educational toys, books, and worksheets to make sure brains are full, as well as bellies. . If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. . Thank you and stay safe. XX #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by #SAVEWITHSTORIES (@savewithstories) on Apr 10, 2020 at 10:39am PDT

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

 

 

 

 

 

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“¡El gallo que no se callaba!” por Carmen Agra Deedy y Eugene Yelchin (published by @scholasticinc) - leÍdo por #LinManuelMiranda ? . THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN rely on school for food. Responding to the needs of kids during these school closures, @savethechildren and @nokidhungry have a new fund @SAVEWITHSTORIES to support food banks, and mobile meal trucks, and community feeding programs with funds to do what they do best—and also—with educational toys, books, and worksheets to make sure brains are full, as well as bellies. . If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. . Thank you and stay safe. XX #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by #SAVEWITHSTORIES (@savewithstories) on Apr 7, 2020 at 9:56am PDT

Header photo screenshot of "Goodnight With Dolly" on YouTube

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