Former US president Barack Obama, 58, and Former First Lady Michelle Obama, 56, posted a clip of themselves reading a kid’s book to give parents across the country “a break” from home schooling their children. The couple read The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds and emphasized the importance of libraries. “It’s a fun book that vividly illustrates the transformative power of words, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did,” Barack said of the kid’s book.
In the clip, which showed the couple sitting together in their home office in front of a bookshelf, Michelle talked about her love for books, and even poked a bit of fun at her husband’s ears. “I remember my first trip to the library and how important I felt. It was around age four. My library card was a key that unlocked a world of knowledge and experiences,” she said. Barack then added, “Public libraries are essential institutions and thats why we’re bring a new branch of the Chicago Public Library to the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side.”
After finishing reading The Word Collector, Michelle joked that her hubby “looks kind of like Jerome,” the main character of the book. “They have the same ears,” she said, to which Barack replied, “Mine are a little bigger than Jerome’s.” Michelle quickly quipped back, “A lot bigger.”
Michelle and I want to do our part to give all you parents a break today, so we’re reading “The Word Collector” for @chipublib. It’s a fun book that vividly illustrates the transformative power of words––and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. pic.twitter.com/ADYbL6Dzg4
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 14, 2020
In a March 22 Instagram post, Mrs. Obama recognized that “these past few weeks have been scary and difficult for many of us. We just don’t have a roadmap for what we’re currently experiencing—that in and of itself can bring up feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and fear, not to mention the worry we feel about the health and safety of our parents, children, and loved ones and the financial security of so many families.” The most important message the Former First Lady gave her followers was to simply let them know “you aren’t alone. Even as we practice social distancing, this new normal is something we are figuring out together.”