Once Upon a Time: Tony Winner Anika Noni Rose Launches Bedtime Stories for the Littles!
(Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Anika Noni Rose is ready to help put your kids to bed. The actress, known for her Tony-winning performance in Caroline, or Change, a standout turn in the Dreamgirls movie and voicing Princess Tiana in Disney's Princess and the Frog, has launched a weekly online series called Bedtime Stories for the Littles!, in which she spreads messages of positivity by reading storybooks to kids. The series appears on her IGTV every Sunday at 7:30PM ET.
"I love reading to kids, and I wanted to give our little people something soft and soothing in this very jarring moment in time," Rose told Broadway.com. "I thought a bedtime story would be the perfect way. I can give my voice to the ones who know it best, without anyone leaving home."
Rose is excited to offer some cheer during the challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic and hopes to give parents a much needed break. She said her series aims to provide children with an uplifting alternative to the negative news they are encountering.
"Kids are free spirits. As hard as it is for adults to be practicing distancing and quarantine, often kids don't really understand what's going on, or why they're stuck inside," said Rose. "This situation has also removed their ability to burn off energy if they're inside most of the day. The little ones feel the stress that we adults are carrying with us, even when we think we're hiding it, and all of this makes sleep more difficult for busy little minds and bodies, and—let's be honest—the adults who care for them."
Rose's first Bedtime Stories for the Littles! reading, held on March 29, was a great success, receiving over 9,000 views in less than 24 hours. The large audience and warm reception ensures that the series will continue to reach many more kids worldwide.
"It made me really happy to do it, and the responses filled my heart and let me know it resonated with both children and parents," said Rose. "It's just the beginning."
