The Best Children’s Books Read by Celebrities
Image via ImaginationLibrary
During this pandemic, there is one thing we can count on to keep everyone in our families smiling—books. Everyone has a favorite children’s book, no matter how old we are. And since it is 2020, we can take it up a notch. What if your favorite celebrity read a children’s book for you? Well, lucky for you, it looks like bedtime stories can be handed over to the celebs. So cuddle up, click play, and enjoy a break from reading the same story over and over again. Let Dolly Parton or Oprah take over for the night!
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton recently began a series called “Goodnight with Dolly” where she reads various children’s books. Included are classics such as The Little Engine That Could written by Watty Piper, reimagined by Dan Santat, and Llama Llama Red Pajama written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. To make this even more exciting, Dolly is releasing episodes frequently during this pandemic. Just hearing Dolly Parton speak is incredibly soothing, and children absolutely adore it. You can even listen to her read her own children’s book, Coat of Many Colors, illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Huges! This project is connected to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library initiative, which is a book gifting program that has donated over 138,621,825 books to over 1,596,067 children in five countries since 1995.
Gloria Estefan
The Conga Queen strikes again! There are only two things that Gloria loves more than making music: her family and her furry canines. Gloria Estefan wrote a children’s book called The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle The Bulldog about her very own pup, Noelle. This book is illustrated by Michael Garland. You can listen to her read this action filled tale in Spanish coming soon on the Estefan YouTube Channel!
Kirsten Bell
If your kiddos love Frozen, they’re going to love hearing their beloved Princess Anna read them the Quackenstein Hatches a Family, written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Brian T. Jones. The book is the perfect combination of spooky and cute for your more adventurous kids.
Jaime Camil
If you think your children can handle a silly story about zombies and their vegetables, you’re in for a treat! You can see Jane the Virgin’s larger than life Rogelio De La Vega, played by Jaime Camil, read Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies written and illustrated by Megan and Jorge Lacera in English & Spanish!
Oprah
Here you can listen to Oprah Winfrey read The Hula-Hoopin' Queen, written by Thelma Lynne Godin and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Can Kameeka finish her chores before the hoopin’ competition? Listen to Oprah’s soothing reading to find out!
Betty White
The iconic Betty White has done so much to build her impressive list of accomplishments in TV and film. Here you can listen to her read Harry the Dirty Dog written by Gene Zion and illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham. Another feather in the nonagenarian’s hat.
Andrew Scott
If you like the sound of an English accent, then listen to the critically-acclaimed actor Andrew Scott read to you! You can listen to him perform the story of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. This charming book will likely take you back to your childhood and capture the interest of your kids!
You can find many more stories read by many familiar names on Storytime Online. Tag SmartSitting in Facebook and Instagram posts so we can see and share your posts on our channels. Want to know more about our tips and tricks? Make sure you sign up for our newsletter for all the latest info coming from our team!