ABC Volunteer Milla Duca Reads out Loud Two Children's Stories

ABC volunteer Milla Duca reads out loud two beloved children’s stories: Purplicious, written by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann, and Amelia Bedelia Sleeps Over, written by Herman Parish.

Purplicious

Purplicious is a story about individual identity. Pinkalicious loves the color pink - she wears pink clothes, eats pink ice cream, and sleeps in a pink bed. But the bullies at her school make fun of her for liking such a passé color - how will Pinkalicious navigate this challenge? Why is it important to remain true to yourself? Listen to the story to find out!

We recommend this story for children ages 4-8.

Amelia Bedelia Sleeps Over

Amelia Bedelia goes to her friend Rose’s house for her first slumber party! Listen along to learn what they did and how much fun they had. Hint: it involves s’mores!

We recommend this story for children ages 4-8.

Maxwel Stein Reads Out Loud the Gruffalo and the Giving Tree

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

A clever mouse meets predators on his way - a fox, an owl, a snake - who all try to eat him. But the mouse is busy because he is going to meet Gruffalo, a monstrous and frightening beast! Would they like to join mouse? What will happen to mouse? Who is Gruffalo? Listen along to find out the answers!

We recommend this story for children ages 3-5.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

This tender and loving story is about the relationship between an apple tree and a boy. A tale of love, sacrifice, and generosity, it touches on mature themes like aging, giving, and taking while staying warm throughout.

We recommend this story for children ages 4-8.

Maxwel Stein reads out loud Corduroy and Fox in Socks

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy is a teddy bear looking for a child’s friendship in a department store. One day, a young girl named Lisa arrives at the store and wants to take him home, but her mother points out that Corduroy is missing a button. That night, Corduroy goes on an adventure to find his missing button - listen to the story to learn more!

We recommend this story for children ages 2-5.

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Reading this story out loud is like doing a tongue twister! Like the book recommends, don’t go fast the first time you read it. This Fox is a tricky fox. He'll get your tongue in trouble!

We recommend this story for children ages 3-7.

Maxwel Stein Reads Out Loud The Snowy Day

While we at ABC are so glad that it’s finally warm again in the city, we also miss some of the fun winter activities we used to do. If you are also nostalgic for the winter, listen to our volunteer Maxwel Stein reading out loud The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats.

Take a look at some throwback photos of our children having fun in the snow!

Follow Along the Read Aloud of "Mae Among the Stars"

Mae Among the Stars, written by Roda Ahmed, is a perfect story for any child with a big dream. Based on the true story of Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to travel into space, this beautiful story demonstrates that we can do anything we set our minds to do if we believe in ourselves and try hard enough.

Mae is a little girl who loves the stars so much she wants to be an astronaut. Some people discourage her from following her dreams by telling her that space is too far away. She could become a nurse, which is a great job and close to Earth. But Mae’s parents tell her to keep pursuing what she wants to do.

Mae ends up receiving her B.A. from Stanford University and M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical School. She eventually joins NASA, and she gets to wave at her parents from the moon!

Kristen Avery Reads Out Loud Frog and Toad Together: The Dream

Kristen Avery is back with the final story of the Frog and Toad Together series, called The Dream. In this story, Toad has a terrifying nightmare — he can’t find his best friend Frog! He grows increasingly more terrified and desperate as he tries to find Frog to no avail.

Toad wakes up from this nightmare at the end of the story, and Frog is standing right there next to him. Relieved, Toad says, “Frog, I'm so glad that you came over.” To this, Frog responds with a simple statement that encapsulates the very nature of friendship: “I always do.”

We hope you enjoyed this delightful series and laughed with the adventures of these two best friends. We recommend this story for children ages 4-8. If you want to listen to the earlier stories, you can find A List here, The Garden here, Cookies here, and Dragons and Giants here!

ABC Volunteer Kristen Avery Reads Out Loud Frog and Toad Together: Dragons and Giants

ABC volunteer Kristen Avery reads out loud the fourth story in the Frog and Toad Together series, known as Dragons and Giants.

Frog and Toad have been reading about brave people who fight off dragons and giants, and they start wondering if they, too, are brave. To prove they are, they go on an adventure where they encounter several challenges. Do Frog and Toad get scared? Does that mean they aren’t brave? What does bravery mean anyway? Listen to the story to find out!

We recommend this story for children ages 4-8. You can also listen to the first three stories on our blog. Click here for List, here for Garden, and here for Cookies.

Kristen Avery Reads Out Loud Frog and Toad Together: Cookies

ABC volunteer Kristen Avery reads out loud the third story in the beloved children’s classic series, Frog and Toad Together: Cookies. A personal favorite of Kristen, this charming story is about the best cookies in the world.

Frog and Toad keep eating and eating and eating until, worried they might get sick, they decide to practice their ‘willpower’ and stop eating these delicious cookies. Will Frog and Toad be able to resist these cookies, or will they give in? What does willpower really mean anyway? Listen along to find out!

We recommend this story for children 4-8 years of age. If you like Cookies, make sure to check out the earlier stories in the Frog and Toad Together series, List and Garden, as well.

Rebecca Reads Out Loud "Lola Loves Stories"

Lola Loves Stories, written by Anna McQuinn, is a wonderful story about a little girl named Lola and her adventures. Lola’s dad takes her to the library, where she imagines herself in different situations — she’s a princess one day, a tiger the next day, a farmer, and so on.

This wonderful story celebrates the power of imagination and encourages children to develop a love of reading. We recommend this story for toddlers around 3 to 4 years of age.

Penelope Tejeda Reads Out Loud Wacky Wednesday

Penelope Tejeda and her Beta Delta Epsilon Afro-Latina Sorority sisters at SUNY Oneonta have recorded several engaging read alouds for ABC’s children. Many of them are education majors studying to become teachers, and they wanted to share their favorite stories with ABC’s children!

We are posting the first of their read alouds today — Dr. Seuss’s beloved story, Wacky Wednesday. A rhyming story about a child who wakes up to find wacky things happening all around him, it’s sure to make you laugh!

We recommend this story for children ages 3-7.