YouTube has developed a monthlong reading promotion called #ReadAlong, featuring videos, playlists, and other features engaging publishers and organizations from Abrams, Penguin Random House, and NYC Libraries, made available on the YouTube Kids app, which has more than 10 million downloads and 10 billion video views.
Early results from YouTube's #ReadAlong promotion, which launched June 1, have been promising. Simon and Schuster reports strong early results tied to the house’s videos that complement its Ready-to-Read series. The videos are drawn from Ready-to-Read titles and explore topics under the categories “The History of Fun Stuff” and “The Science of Fun Stuff.” The free app, available for iOS and Android, limits watching to family-friendly videos. The Simon and Schuster six videos released on the app have racked up 44,727 views in just six days.
Jon Anderson, president of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, underscored the goal of the series as “making nonfiction fun for today’s kids.”
“We now have the perfect opportunity to bring that message to a wide audience outside the normal venues for books,” Anderson told PW. “When parents and kids see a Ready-to-Read book video on YouTube Kids, they will know that the content is family-friendly, educational, and most of all fun!”
This article has been updated with additional information.
