This report is part of WTOP’s coverage of Black History Month. Read more stories on WTOP.com. People all over the country and the globe are tuning into a YouTube channel created by a dad from Prince George’s County, Maryland. He wants to help kids enjoy books — especially kids of color.
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Calvin Thomas of Landover said his goal on the “It’s Reading Time” channel is to bring books to life, reading the books aloud and “filling the atmosphere with music and sound effects.” Thomas, a musician, creates that music from the ground up. He also makes sure children of color are featured in many of the books, “so that kids of all different races can see themselves in the books.” It all started as a way to put his three young daughters to bed, but now it’s a full-time business for Thomas and his wife, Shannon. “It evolved into something a lot bigger than what we expected,” he said. He had previously worked in the banking industry. He also said he has heard from many parents who have used his channel to supplement their kids’ virtual learning during the pandemic, and who have used it to help kids who have fallen behind catch up. The channel now has over 500 books, he said, and over 8,500 subscribers.
