Disney Kicks Off the 2021 Magic of Storytelling Campaign in Collaboration With First Book

Disney announces its ninth annual 2021 Magic of Storytelling campaign to cultivate the next generation of storytellers.

From Jan. 13 to March 31, 2021, the Magic of Storytelling campaign will come to life through the diverse voices of storytellers and talent from some of Disney's most beloved books, series and movies. This year, the campaign will take place virtually on MagicOfStorytelling.com and across the company's networks and social platforms. All are welcome to enjoy a virtual story time and hear storytelling tips from Disney authors and creators.

This year's public service announcement (PSA) highlighting the life-changing impact that books have on children is voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, moderator of "The View." Goldberg, alongside her co-hosts on "The View," including Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Meghan McCain, kicked off the Magic of Storytelling campaign this morning by inviting First Book founder Kyle Zimmer to the show to speak about the campaign. It was announced that First Book has decided to distribute 1,000 books in honor of each of the hosts to nonprofits of their interest.

"We are thrilled that together with Disney, First Book has provided millions of books to educators and programs around the country that work with underserved children and communities," said Kyle Zimmer, president, CEO and co-founder of First Book. "Igniting a love of stories at a young age opens doors to endless possibilities, and it can all begin with a book. On behalf of the more than half a million educators in our network, thank you for the continued commitment and passion for investing in the next generation of storytellers."

Through two decades of collaboration, Disney Publishing Worldwide has donated millions of books to First Book that have been distributed to educators in schools and programs that serve children from low-income communities around the United States. During the campaign, Disney Publishing Worldwide and the ABC television stations across the country will further extend the magic of storytelling by helping to allocate thousands of books to be distributed to local organizations in their communities.

Individuals are encouraged to make personal contributions to First Book to help the organization provide even more books to educators who serve kids in need. Eligible community and educational programs serving low-income youth can also register with the First Book network to get access to free and low-cost books and resources, including those donated by Disney.

Each week, talent from across some of Disney's favorite shows and movies will participate in the Magic of Storytelling by hosting virtual story times and sharing storytelling tips across Disney social platforms and on MagicOfStorytelling.com. Some of the talent scheduled to be featured in the Magic of Storytelling Series include the following:

• Angelica Ross (FX's "Pose" and "American Horror Story")
• Danielle Fishel (Disney Channel's "Girl Meets World")
• Emilio Rivera (FX's "Mayans M.C.")
• Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians")
• Julie C. Dao (DPW author of "Broken Wish")
• Kayla Cromer (Freeform's "Everything's Gonna Be Okay")
• Kelly Ripa ("Live with Kelly and Ryan")
• Lexi Underwood (Disney+'s "Sneakerella"; Hulu's "Little Fires Everywhere")
• Michelle Yeoh (Nat Geo's "Hidden Kingdoms of China"; Marvel Studio's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings")
• Ryan Seacrest ("Live with Kelly and Ryan"; ABC's "American Idol")
• Shaylee Mansfield (Disney Channel's "BUNKD")
• Sherry Cola (Freeform's "Good Trouble")
• Steven Canals (FX's "Pose")
• Tamron Hall ("Tamron Hall")
• Tika Sumpter (ABC's "mixed-ish")

To learn more and join in the Magic of Storytelling, please visit MagicOfStorytelling.com.

Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is one of the world's largest children's publishing brands, igniting imagination through storytelling in ever-inventive ways. As part of the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment, DPW brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company's powerful brands and franchises, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, 20th Century Studios and National Geographic, to fans around the world. DPW and its affiliates create and publish books, comics, magazines and digital stories both vertically in-house and through an extensive worldwide licensing structure. As a leader in audio and digital learning products, DPW also adds magic to story time with best-selling eBook titles, best-in-class apps and audio books, and interactive storytelling for smart devices. Headquartered in Glendale, California, DPW publishes books, magazines and digital products in 68 countries in 45 languages.