LeAnne Taylor Hosts Virtual Storytime For Kids During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

With so many children out of school, 6 In The Morning Anchor LeAnne Taylor found a way to introduce kids to the magic of books, through Facebook Live.

"Hello friends in Facebook land. It's your friendly Cat in the Hat," said LeAnne.

It all started on March 22, with what she called a dramatic reading of Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat. 

"When I did this on that Sunday afternoon, it was a rainy day. I just thought, 'I'm going to start doing this every day.' But when I saw response, I realized it was going to be all-in commitment," LeAnne said.

Her setup is simple. She shoots video of herself on her iPhone, using a modified camera tripod. At 4:00pm every afternoon, kids can find LeAnne cozied up in a rocking chair, and in costume. She has posted more than 26 reading videos, which have over 135,000 views, over 1,300 shares.

"I've had my friends buy me hats, sending me books. The books aren't the problems, the costumes to match the books are kind of the tricky part," said LeAnne.

But really, the audience interaction is the bread and butter.

"I've had several people send me pictures of their grandkids or their children watching, and I think that it gives parents a break. It gives parents a chance to just kind of breathe, while the kids are entertained for maybe 15 minutes," LeAnne said. 

Knowing that thousands of kiddos and adults join her Live every day, LeAnne feels the pressure to be there for them consistently.

"You build relationships through Facebook Live in a way that I did think I'd be able to do," LeAnne said. "I'm just thoroughly enjoying myself. But honestly, if there was just one person I was reaching, it would be worth it."