Philly is a force behind a new book that helps infants and adults alike share the joys of reading aloud

With its gentle rhymes and exquisite illustrations, I’ll Build You a Bookcase tells a lovely little tale. But this new children’s book has big ambitions: To encourage parents in Philadelphia and beyond to read regularly to their newborns, infants, and toddlers.

I’ll build you a bookcase before you are born / that’s made out of boxes from shoes that were worn
For books we will read in the soft morning light / and books we will read before saying good night.

Written by Jean Ciborowski Fahey and illustrated by Simone Shin, I’ll Build You a Bookcase is also designed to hold the attention of little ones, and is written to encourage them to listen. It’s the product of a two-year project funded by a William Penn Foundation program that focuses on readiness for kindergarten, and aims to boost the reading levels of Philadelphia students by third grade.