Reach Out and Read

Pulitzer prize winning journalist Nicholas Kristof has covered neglected social and economic welfare topics all over the world, but his most recent book, "Tightrope: Americans Reaching For Hope" is an exploration of poverty in America seen through a very personal lens – the community in which Nick grew up. Strikingly, while many may focus on the importance of support for adults, rehabilitation, and remediation, Nick and his co-author and wife, Sheryl WuDunn, chose to put the focus on something near and dear to the heart of this podcast: the dramatic, deep, and powerful importance of early foundational health.

We're joined by Mark Del Monte, CEO of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Dr. Nate Chomilo, pediatrician and policy expert from Minnesota, to discuss how the world of policy affects the everyday lives of children and families — and the issues to keep in mind as we vote this year.

It's easy to think that the way we think about children and parenting is the way it's always been — the birth of a child is accompanied by the expectation that that baby will grow up happy, healthy, and become an adult. However, a mere century ago that wasn't necessarily the case. So what changed? How has the role of parenting transformed? Dr. Perri Klass, author of the new book "A Good Time to Be Born", joins us to talk about the social, and medical, events that transformed childhood and parenting.

Early foundational relationships are the strongest predictor of young children's long-term success — what happens to kids in those early months and years of life sets the stage for how they relate to others and the world around them, and how those others relate to them. Dr David Willis, Developmental-Behavioral pediatrician and Senior Fellow with the Center for the Study of Social Policy, and Claudia Aristy, Director of Children of Bellevue's Reach Out and Read Program, join us to talk about how families—and the professionals that support them—can create and maintain robust early relational health.

The reality of remote learning is here, and it's led teachers and families to re-evaluate what school means during COVID-19. Josh Golin and Seth Evans, both of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, speak to us about their recent policy statement EdTech and Education Policy During the Pandemic and the importance of getting online learning right.

Chelsea Clinton, author, advocate, and vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, joins us to talk about growing up with books, the role of books in her own children's lives, and the importance of reading programs to support all children and families.

Children's books can bring much comfort and insight for children and adults alike. With all that is happening in our world, we figured that now is a good time to ask: What Meaning do Children's Books Have in a Time of Crisis? We're joined by author Robie Harris, author of award winning and internationally acclaimed books including When Lions Roar, Who? and Crash! Boom!, and Leonard Marcus, historian and leading writer about children's books and the people who create them.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician and activist renowned for her role in the Flint water crisis, shares insights on the profound impact of social determinants of health. She discusses how poverty and racism exacerbate environmental challenges, affecting child development. Mona highlights innovative strategies for mitigating lead exposure and the importance of long-term policy commitments. She emphasizes rebuilding trust within communities and advocates for literacy as a cornerstone of recovery, urging collective civic responsibility for future generations.

Books serve as mirrors to children, providing reflections of themselves, as well as windows to let them see others. We know that a broad, diverse range of depictions helps children see that from a young age, and we also know that the range of diversity in children's books is nowhere near as rich as it could be. Dr. Monique Jindal, an internal medicine and pediatrics physician at Johns Hopkins, and Meg Medina, author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears, join us to talk about the importance of diversity in children's literature and lives.

We continue our conversation on "Diversity in Children's Literature" by speaking with Ashley Lukashevsky, an artist and illustrator whose recent book, ANTIRACIST BABY by author Ibram X. Kendi, brings this topic to light directly.