< You CAN Read to Me!

you can read to me!

“You’ve waited such a long, long time, I’ve finally arrived!
Each day is new, a chance for you, to help me grow and thrive.” 

It's never too early to start reading with a baby! In fact, reading is a perfect way to bond and help build a baby's language skills. You are your baby's best reader: read wherever and whenever works for you!

This sweet, simple story features photographs of diverse families reading with their infants during the formative first months of life. These were guided and co-created by community-based research led by pediatricians exploring concerns and hopes regarding reading at this age.

Published community-based research in the journal Academic Pediatrics exploring beliefs and motivations regarding shared reading with infants informing the themes modeled in this book is summarized here.

Publication information

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About the Authors: 

Arin Gentry is an Adjunct Professor, Advisor and mother of two from Cincinnati, OH. She is passionate about childhood literacy and promoting empowering books by Black authors in local communities. She is the founder of the As Told By Foundation, a nonprofit that works to amplify the voices of Black youth through stories.

Dr. Clare Crosh is a pediatrician working in the Chicagoland area and mother of two smart, independent daughters. Her research is focused on literacy, health equity and engaging families in shared reading. She strongly believes in the power of a book and reading to transform a child’ s world.

About the Artist:

Kenyatta Davis is a personal branding and headshot photographer, and mother of three from Cincinnati, Ohio. She has seen first-hand the importance of reading and loves getting lost in books with her children. Her favorite part was when they were small, seeing their eyes light up as they began to recognize words and to interact with the characters and story.