Film stars lend voice to children’s books
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Amy Adams.
Famous actors Amy Adams, Josh Gad, Jennifer Garner and others are lending their voices to “Operation Storytime” and “Save With Stories,” initiatives aimed at lifting kids’ — and parents’ — spirits amid coronavirus- induced uncertainty.
They’re posting social media videos of themselves reading various children’s books aloud to entertain self-quarantined families.
“In case your day calls for a calming story,” Garner captioned her #operationstorytime Instagram post, in which she recited Jan Brett’s tale, “The Mitten,” accompanied by her kid-friendly golden retriever.
Gad — the voice of Olaf the snowman in “Frozen” — read Shel Silverstein’s classic “The Giving Tree” and offered support to families who have committed to social distancing.
“I also want to thank everyone who is in self-isolation right now. I know it’s hard not to be out there socializing with everybody. Trust me, I want to be out there, too,” he said. “But it’s important that all of us protect everybody who is somewhat fragile right now, or immunocompromised, so thank you.”
Garner also collaborated with Adams for “Save With Stories,” an initiative started by nonprofit organizations Save the Children and No Kid Hungry. Adams recited Aviana Olea Le Gallo’s “The Dinosaur Princess” to her daughter and Garner read Ken Geist’s “The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark.”
“We are galvanizing as a community to support a new fund for a combined effort between SAVE THE CHILDREN and Share Our Strength’s NO KID HUNGRY,” Adams wrote on Instagram. “THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN in the United States rely on school for food. School closures will hit vulnerable communities hard.”
Both actors encouraged fans to donate to Save the Children and No Kid Hungry to serve kids “affected by COVID-19,” who are experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic. Donations can be made at savethechildren.org/ savewithstories by texting “SAVE” to 20222 for a one-time donation of $10.
To see and hear actors read children’s stories, visit #operationstorytime or #savewithstories on Instagram.
