Reading Rainbow is being revived on YouTube with a new host, the beloved internet and real-life librarian Mychal Threets.
The new iteration of Reading Rainbow will appear as a digital series on YouTube’s kids’ platform, KidZuko. Threets, known as “Mychal The Librarian,” made the announcement across his social media platforms. The new episodes are slated to air on Saturdays at 7 a.m. PST/10 a.m. EST, beginning Oct. 4. In a TikTok post, Mychal announced the reboot.
He captioned the post, “Reading Rainbow is returning with all-new episodes … That means new friends, new projects and, of course, new books.”
@mychal3ts 🎶 Take a look, it’s in a book 🎶 After nearly 20 years… Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course… new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow 📚🌈 😊 @Buffalo Toronto Public Media Video Description: A familiar tune plays. Mychal walks out of a library, smiling and saying, “Hi! And welcome to Reading Rainbow!” He introduces the library, and video of kids talking, cheering, and coloring plays. He announces that Reading Rainbow is returning with all new episodes! There will be new friends like Rylee Arnold, Ezra Sosa, Bellen Woodard, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. New projects like postcards, sensory bottles, and sidewalk libraries. New books narrated by Jamie Chung, Gabrielle Union, Adam DeVine, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen. A kid previews their book rating of an astounding 2,000 stars! Mychal encourages you to follow the rainbow ✨ #FollowTheRainbow #BookTok #LibraryTikTok #Books
The reboot is star-studded. Along with Mychal the Librarian, celebrity guests and narrators are scheduled to appear. Amongst the line-up are Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Adam DeVine, Gabrielle Union, and Bellen Woodard.
Threets brings both experience in content creation and library knowledge to the show. A former librarian in Solano County, California, Threets built an online presence as a literacy advocate. He stepped down from his role at the public library in 2024 to focus on his mental health and now serves as PBS’s “resident librarian.”
Reading Rainbow first aired on PBS from 1983 to 2006 under longtime host LeVar Burton. Burton set a high bar for educational children’s programming. The original show was viewed as an important tool in combating summer learning loss and expanding children’s access to books. New resources for literacy are sorely needed as the nation’s reading proficiency continues to decline.
“In 2024, the average reading score for the nation at grade 12 was 3 points lower than in 2019. Compared to the first reading assessment in 1992, the average score was 10 points lower in 2024,” according to the Nation’s Report Card, conducted by the NAEP. With federal funding for public broadcasting under fire, the success of educational programs on free digital platforms is vital.
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