Albert Whitman & Company and Cook County's Project Rainbow Launch Collaboration with National Reading Month Resolution

Independent children's publisher Albert Whitman & Company to offer curated collection of inclusive, relevant, and trusted stories to kids through Cook County's Project Rainbow initiative

Albert Whitman & Company (AW), an independent children's book publisher, is partnering with Cook County's Project Rainbow initiative to offer a selection of free engaging and educational videos for kids.

The pandemic's impact on children's social, emotional, and academic development continues to be top of mind for parents and educators everywhere. Cook County is partnering with AW to provide high-quality educational content to teachers and students for free.

"We're proud to partner with Albert Whitman & Company, which brings the love of reading to Project Rainbow's suite of exciting and creative content," said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. "Reading is an activity that lives both on and off the page, and this partnership allows audiences to explore their passion for books in a whole new way."

From AW's perspective, teaming up with Project Rainbow feels like an opportunity years in the making. After more than a century in the traditional book publishing business, AW committed to making its inclusive, relevant, and trusted stories available to even more children by reimagining them as storytime videos. As a result, AW was prepared to meet the moment when schools switched to remote learning during the pandemic.

"As a Cook County-based independent publisher, we're deeply invested in the well-being of children in our community. Project Rainbow's innovative approach to addressing learning loss resonates deeply with us. By providing free access to our storytime videos, we hope to play a small role in supporting Cook County's families and nurturing a brighter future for all," said Tom MacDonald, Director, Albert Whitman & Company.

Project Rainbow app users will have access to stories from some of AW's most popular collections, including civics, financial literacy, women's history, and more. Featuring animated illustrations, professional voiceovers, and sync to text highlighting, each story in AW's digital library makes reading more enjoyable for kids while improving their literacy levels.

"Albert Whitman & Company brings such an exciting, diverse range of subjects to young readers," said Nick Shields, Cook County Deputy Chief of Staff – Communications and creator of Project Rainbow. "We're thrilled to partner with a company that understands the many ways children and family connect with books. They embody all that the Project Rainbow platform offers."

In the future, AW and Project Rainbow plan to make additional videos available on the app and offer physical books at events promoting the important work of local government.