Provider of digital audio books, Audible has announced that Roscoe Orman, the actor and child advocate, internationally known and loved as “Gordon” -”from “Sesame Street” -” will be joining AudibleKids as Chief Storyteller.
Orman will help spread the word to parents and their children on how the experience of listening to stories is essential for young readers, and that AudibleKids is turning iPods and other MP3 players into learning tools. To celebrate his new role with Audible, Orman will appear at The Educational Alliance Boys & Girls Club in New York City today. AudibleKids is helping to transform the computer center into a multimedia listening center where children will have access to free audiobook downloads.
In his role as Chief Storyteller, Orman will narrate books and become a roving ambassador for the service. He will offer parents and other members of the Audible community advice on how to encourage young readers to listen to audiobooks as an important way to experience books and develop a love for reading.
“When -˜Sesame Street’ began, television was a new and even controversial medium. But we showed how that technology, if used correctly, could become a powerful learning tool,” explained Orman. “I see the same kind of opportunity emerging today as parents and educators increasingly view iPods with skepticism. With AudibleKids, I believe we can help turn these players into magnificent storytellers, tools for learning, and a way to promote a lifelong love of stories and language.”
As Chief Storyteller, Orman will narrate a wide mix of audiobooks for AudibleKids that can be found at www.audiblekids.com/roscoe. These performances will range from his reading of the new Barack Obama biography for young adults, “Yes We Can,” to Orman’s own children’s book, “Ricky & Mobo,” to a series of retellings of Shakespeare’s greatest plays designed for young readers.
Orman will also be connecting his experience to the rapidly growing world of digital media. “This new role is the ultimate fusion of my training as a stage actor-”where I learned the power of drama to pull people into a story-”and my experience teaching kids as Gordon on -˜Sesame Street,’ ” explained Orman. “There is something uniquely powerful about a story dramatically unfolding through creatively produced, well-composed words to spark the imagination and take kids to another place.”
