Coronavirus: Amy Adams, Jennifer Garner Among Celebs Reading to Children Stuck in Isolation

With no movies and TV shows to promote or shoot, Hollywood stars have virtually nothing to do as the entertainment industry comes to a  standstill due to the global coronavirus pandemic. But several stars have decided to put the national emergency to use by reading aloud bedtime stories on social media to reach young children who are stuck at home.

Actresses Amy Adams and Jennifer Garner announced Monday that they are launching #SaveWithStories, a series of short celebrity videos posted to social media that will feature stars reading children’s books. The project, in partnership with Scholastic, is intended to encourage donations to coronavirus response initiatives by the charities Save the Children and No Kid Hungry.

Other stars have also joined in what is becoming something of a Hollywood trend, including Frozen star Josh Gad and Bridesmaids actor Chris O’Dowd.

Jennifer Garner said on Instagram that her project is designed to provide “a spot to watch your favorite celebrities read your favorite children’s books.” She added that “we are galvanizing (without hair and makeup!!) as a community” to support charities intended to help children during the coronavirus crisis.

View this post on Instagram

Welcome to @SAVEWITHSTORIES (and please welcome my friend @amyadams to Instagram!)—a spot to watch your favorite celebrities read your favorite children’s books. We are galvanizing (without hair and makeup!!) as a community to support a new fund for a combined effort between @savethechildren and Share Our Strength’s @nokidhungry (and thank you to our founding publisher, @scholasticinc ♥️). . THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN in the United States rely on school for food. School closures will hit vulnerable communities hard and #SaveTheChildren and #NoKidHungry are on the ground and ready to serve. They just need our help! . These funds will help us make sure that families know how to find meals when schools are closed, support mobile meal trucks, food banks and other community feeding programs, provide educational toys, books and worksheets, and support out-of-school-time programs to help kids make up for lost time in the classroom. . If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. . Thank you and stay safe. XX #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by Jennifer Garner (@jennifer.garner) on Mar 16, 2020 at 9:53am PDT

Amy Adams wrote that she “finally” joined Instagram to participate in the project.

“I’ve decided to finally join to shine a spotlight on kids across the country who need our help and support during this difficult time,” she wrote in her first post.

View this post on Instagram

I’ve decided to finally join to shine a spotlight on kids across the country who need our help and support during this difficult time. My friend @jennifer.garner and I are launching @SAVEWITHSTORIES – a spot to watch your favorite celebrities read your favorite children’s books. We are galvanizing as a community to support a new fund for a combined effort between SAVE THE CHILDREN and Share Our Strength’s NO KID HUNGRY (and a big thank you to our founding publisher, Scholastic♥️). ⁣ ⁣ THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN in the United States rely on school for food. School closures will hit vulnerable communities hard and @savethechildren and @nokidhungry are on the ground and ready to serve. They just need our help! ⁣ ⁣ These funds will help us make sure that families know how to find meals when schools are closed, support mobile meal trucks, food banks and other community feeding programs, provide educational toys, books and worksheets, and support out-of-school-time programs to help kids make up for lost time in the classroom. ⁣ ⁣ If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by Amy Adams (@amyadams) on Mar 16, 2020 at 9:52am PDT

So far, @SaveWithStories features videos of Garner reading aloud The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist, with illustrations by Julia Gorton; and Adams reading Dinosaur Princess,  by Aviana Olea Le Gallo and featuring illustrations by  by Darren Le Gallo, who is Adams’ husband.

Josh Gad recently read aloud Olivia Goes to Venice, written and illustrated by Ian Falconer, on a live Twitter feed. The actor called his video a “little isolation reading.”

Chris O’Dowd tweeted out an old reading he did of Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller, adding that he plans to do more in the coming days.

Many Hollywood movie and TV productions have shut down due to the spread of the coronavirus around the world. Studios have also pulled several blockbuster releases from their release schedules, including Disney’s live-action Mulan; No Time to Die, the latest James Bond movie; F9, or Fast & Furious 9;  and A Quiet Place 2.

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