Collaboration will put “powerful tools directly into the hands of families, nurturing connection, curiosity, and lifelong learning from the very start.”
Barefoot Books, an award-winning independent children’s publisher, has been selected as a preferred vendor for Reach Out and Read, the national nonprofit redefining early childhood health and literacy by integrating reading into pediatric care. The only national pediatric literacy model endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Reach Out and Read leverages the near-universal reach of the well-child visit to support caregivers in fostering healthy relationships with their young children through shared reading. This new partnership will bring Barefoot’s vibrant, culturally reflective, and bilingual titles to families at more than 6,500 clinics affiliated with Reach Out and Read across all 50 states.
For more than three decades, Reach Out and Read has partnered with pediatric clinicians to transform routine checkups into powerful opportunities for nurturing early literacy and bonding. In FY24 alone, the organization served 4.6 million children and provided 7.7 million free books during 9.3 million well-child visits. Nearly 70 percent of those children came from low-income households, where access to books can be limited. By joining forces, Barefoot Books and Reach Out and Read will ensure that even more families have access to stories that both reflect their lived experiences and introduce them to new perspectives.
“At Barefoot, we believe that books have the power to change the world,” said Nancy Traversy, CEO and Co-Founder of Barefoot Books. “Every child deserves to see themselves in the stories they read — and the best books are the ones children and caregivers treasure for years to come. Partnering with Reach Out and Read allows us to help expand access to high-quality, inclusive books that inspire a lifelong love of reading.”
A centerpiece of the partnership is Barefoot’s Bilinguals series, a collection of nearly 200 titles across nine languages — including Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Navajo, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish, and Vietnamese — which will help Reach Out and Read meet the growing demand for books that support bilingual households, English language learners, and families preserving heritage languages.
“Reach Out and Read books should both reflect the identities and experiences of the children and families we serve and showcase the wider world around them,” said Angela Cunningham, Reach Out and Read’s National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships. “Barefoot Books’ commitment to bilingual and inclusive stories helps us put those powerful tools directly into the hands of families, nurturing connection, curiosity, and learning from the very start.”
For more than 30 years, Barefoot Books has created award-winning stories that nurture empathy, curiosity, and global awareness. The publisher has put more than 35 million books into the hands of children worldwide.
For more information about Barefoot Books, visit Barefootbooks.com. To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit ReachOutandRead.org.