Photo: Courtesy Tonies
From a young age, LeVar Burton found joy in reading. And he’s made it his purpose to ensure other kids feel the same.
So when Tonies approached the formerReading Rainbowhost about partnering on a figurine and a reading of his children’s book,The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, he was in.
“I believe in their mission, what they’re doing, and I wanted to help,” Burton, 64, tells PEOPLE. “Plus, as avatars go, he’s pretty cool.”
Tonies is a screen-free entertainment system for kids, which includes a Toniebox — a soft speaker cube kids can operate themselves — and theTonies, which contain beloved children’s stories and songs that are activated when placed atop the box.
Burton is the first celebrity to get his very own Tonie — “I certainly hope I’m not the last!” he says — and believes the topic of his book, which was first released in 2014, will resonate with young readers.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
“It’s a story of loss and how we can recover from loss, what it takes to recover,” the currentJeopardy!guest host says. “It’s something we don’t do on our own — it’s best accomplished when we have help from others. And that’s a message I feel very passionate about.”
Burton’s passion for books in general came from his mother, an English teacher, he tells PEOPLE.
LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow.PBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
Hearing from formerReading Rainbowviewers who are now introducing their kids to Burton throughThe Rhino Who Swallowed a Stormand Tonies is pretty special for the actor, too.
“The idea that they’re sharing their love of literature and stories with their kids is awesome to me,” he shares. “And being able to have the conversation with them about storytelling that doesn’t involve screentime — it’s what Tonies is all about.”
Burton’s Tonieswill be availablefor $14.99 on Sept. 9; until then, he’s partnered with the brand on the#ReadToYourChild challenge and contestas part of his personal mission to inspire and support childhood literacy. Parents are encouraged to to film a video of themselves reading their favorite childhood story to their child, posting to Instagram with #ReadToYourChild and tagging@tonies.usand@levar.burton. Burton will select his favorite entry to win an in-person visit and storytime with him at the winning family’s school.
source: people.com
