Operation Record a Story

This sounds like a great idea! Operation Record a Story lets kids hear their deployed military parent read a bedtime story to them. Publications International is donating 5,000 books to the USO and United Through Reading, who will then help military members record themselves reading the book for their children. Recording sites are located on Navy ships and at overseas bases, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, and at select USOs worldwide. Their kids will receive in the mail both the book and a dvd of their parent reading that book out loud to them. Then they suggest that the other parent or caregiver record the child enjoying the dvd and send it back to the military parent so they can see how much it was appreciated.

Isn't that nice? The simple act of reading a bedtime story to your children, one of the most important things you can do with your child in terms of reading readiness (and just good bonding time!), can be so difficult when that parent is deployed for a long time. This makes it easier to maintain that important bedtime ritual. I imagine everyone in the family would enjoy seeing that dvd, don't you?

The titles include ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Sesame Street: Together at Heart, Dora the Explorer and Guess How Much I Miss You. There is a fact sheet (pdf) at http://portal.pubint.com/pubint/RAS_Video_panel/Op_RAS_Fact_Sheet.pdf.