Reach Out and Read

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.