CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman Tribune’s “Bedtime Storytellers Series” is officially underway online with a stacked list of readers made up of beloved community members. At 8 p.m. every evening, followers of The Cullman Tribune and Cullman Today can tune in to hear stories read by readers from the likes of Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry and Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, as well as a host of other familiar faces on schedule to lend their voices to tales both classic and modern.
The initiative aims to expand interest in literacy among young residents of Cullman, and in a digital age of iPads and YouTube sleep mixes, Cullman Tribune Publisher Noah Galilee said the series came not a moment too soon.
“We started the bedtime storytellers series as a way to bring the written word and spoken text back to children and adults in a world relying so heavily on YouTube to talk their children to sleep,” said Galilee, explaining that while it might seem ironic to use an online platform to bring the community back to written text, the familiar faces and voices will spark an interest anew in young readers.
“The difference is having people participate who are known by the children,” he said, “To us, that’s a huge difference.” He shared that once the idea was floated around, it was met with a formidably positive response from the community.
“We were overwhelmed with the response from teachers, both city and county, county superintendent (Shane) Barnette, Sheriff Gentry, Mayor Jacobs and a host of other elected officials and community leaders. I am grateful to each of them for giving up some time to help tell Christmas stories,” smiled Galilee, referencing the holiday and Christmas-themed stories being told in December to kick off the Bedtime Storytellers Series.
The Bedtime Storytellers Series will continue into the new year, airing at 8 p.m. on The Cullman Tribune and Cullman Today Facebook pages. Below is a list of readers and the books they have chosen to read.
- Anna Anderson – “The Crippled Lamb”
- Cayla Grace Murphy – “Little Wolf’s First Howling”
- Cheyenne Sharp – “I’m So Glad You Were Born”
- Chad Floyd – “Jesus is Born in Bethlehem”
- Dale Greer – “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
- Danielle Shelton – “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey”
- Elizabeth Shaddix – “How to Catch an Elf”
- Garlan Gudger – “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”
- Hilary Nix – “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh”
- Janet Chandler – “Room for a Little One”
- Kerry Watson – “If I Were Saint Nick”
- Kimberly Lindsey – “The Kissing Hand”
- Margaret Guthrie – “Grumpy Monkey”
- Matt Gentry – “Jingle Bells”
- Melanie Harris – “Dasher”
- Nathan Anderson – “Mooseltoe”
- Paige Clabo – “The Little Engine that Could”, “Have Fun Molly Lou Melon”
- Richard Orr – “Falling for Rapunzel”
- Robin Winton – “The Night Before Christmas”
- Shane Barnette – “You are Special”, “The Boy Who Changed the World”, “Pete the Cat”
- Theresa Kelly – “Gifts of the Heart”
- TJ Franey – “‘Twas the Evening of Christmas”
- Tonya Cupp – “Absolutely Positively Andrew”
- Woody Jacobs – “Santa’s Underwear”
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