Riverside's Reach Out & Read Program

A Prescription to Read

Riverside houses four pediatric Reach Out and Read sites: Riverside East Court Clinic, Primary Care Associates Kankakee, Primary Care Pembroke and Pediatric Specialists, Bradley. 

Reach Out and Read is a national network of clinicians that encourage the importance of reading aloud from a young age. Because of our participation, and thanks to gifts from donors, we provide a free, age-appropriate book at each well child visit from birth to age five, with titles in both English and Spanish.

Reading together furthers language skills, promotes brain development and creates family bonding—all elements of holistic health and wellness. We've particularly focused on inclusion by purchasing stories that depict main characters that look like our diverse, local readership!

You can help contribute to this program by selecting books from the list below. 

Spot shows off his knowledge of numbers and words in these bright, bold board books. Each spread illustrates objects toddlers will love to identify, along with a different touchy-feely element to engage tactile interaction. These are the perfect way for young children to learn concepts while following their favorite yellow puppy.

A baby bird goes in search of his mother in this hilarious Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss. When a mother bird's egg starts to jump, she hurries off to make sure she has something for her little one to eat. But as soon as she's gone, out pops the baby bird. He immediately sets off to find his mother, but not knowing what she looks like makes it a challenge. The little hatchling is determined to find his mother, even after meeting a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a Snort. The timeless message of the bond between mother and child make P. D. Eastman's Are You My Mother? a treasured classic. 

B is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba!
One morning after breakfast, Baby’s big brother is getting ready to take the basket of bananas all the way to Baba’s bungalow in the next village. He’ll have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds, and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. But what he doesn’t realize is that his very cute, very curious baby sibling has stowed away on his bicycle! Little ones learning about language will love sounding out the words in this playful, vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa.

A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck--all parade across the pages of this delightful book. Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle's flat, boldly colored collages. Combined with Bill Martin's singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals.

In Maisy's Bedtime, Maisy and her friends get ready for bed. As always, toddlers, preschoolers, and parents will find the ordinary extraordinary with Maisy!

The Little Red Hen works hard to turn her wheat seed into flour, without any help from her lazy friends. But when they smell the fresh bread baking, they all are eager to help her eat it!

Rain, Rain, Go Away celebrates and encourages the playful spirit of children, no matter the weather! From sunshine to rain, nothing can stop the fun of a group of friends ready to play outside together!

Come for a visit in Bear Country with this classic First Time Book® from Stan and Jan Berenstain. Join Mama, Papa, Brother, and Sister, as they head to Doctor Grizzly’s office for their important check-ups where they will have their temperatures taken, their eyes examined, and their ears looked in. Includes over 50 bonus stickers!

It's up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hair style. Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy. Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair -- and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. 

Curious George's funny adventures at the aquarium will spark giggles from young readers. The aquarium is a big place for a little monkey, and there is so much to see. George’s curiosity soon helps him to make lots of penguin friends . . . and lots of trouble!

 Alice tumbles down the rabbit hole and enters a magical place called Wonderland, where she meets some curious characters before awaking to find it was all a dream.

The Timeless Tales series is a wonderful introduction to the magical world of fairy tales that have been shared by families for generations. These cherished stories have been adapted from the originals to appeal to younger children and are a great way for parent and child to share story time together.

This book bundle includes 25 books, five copies of each title shown in the description photo. 

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