Management and production company The Gotham Group on Wednesday launched a new YouTube series aimed at children in which stars and public figures will read aloud popular kids books and stories, with Steve Buscemi, AnnaSophia Robb and Sen. Cory Booker among those participating in the series.
The first five episodes from the new series “Gotham Reads” launched on Wednesday on a YouTube channel with a mix of actors, authors and public figures reading new and classic children’s stories.
Tony DiTerlizzi (“The Spiderwick Chronicles”) read aloud his book “Ted,” Gris Grimley read “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” Jerry Spinelli read his book “Stargirl,” Butch Hartman (“Fairly OddParents”) read Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham,” and “Little Fires Everywhere” star Robb read B.J. Novak’s “The Book With No Pictures.
Additional participants include public figures such as Sen. Cory Booker, Skylar Astin, Steve Buscemi, Casey Cott, Max Greenfield, Jewel, Sonequa Martin-Green, Natascha McElhone, Sara Rue, Lorraine Toussaint and Patrick Warburton.
New episodes will be refreshed on the “Gotham Reads” YouTube channel every few days Mondays through Friday at 12 p.m. PT and will feature close to 75 children’s authors, content creators and performers in all reading their favorite books while also giving a peek into their creative process.
1stAveMachine, the mixed media production company with whom The Gotham Group has a strategic partnership, is providing creative and production support and will be running the channel.
“Gotham Reads” content will be shared with a network of affiliated organizations such as 826LA, Common Sense Media, Girls Inc., Imagine LA, P.S. Arts, Save the Children, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Young Storytellers in order to help extend the series to as many preschool and middle grade kids as possible during the coronavirus quarantines.
“Authors, illustrators, screenwriters and content creators are eager to help bring some solace and normalcy to children around the world during these challenging times. Storytelling is an essential part of our lives. No one knows that better than these artists, whose unique voices have entertained and comforted millions of children for decades,” Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Gotham Group founder and CEO, said in a statement.
Watch Butch Hartman read “Green Eggs & Ham” above, and check out the YouTube channel for “Gotham Reads” here.