LOS ANGELES (March 4, 2019) – The 2019 Best Actor Oscar and SAG Award winner Rami Malek is the newest reader for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s children’s literacy program Storyline Online® (storylineonline.net). Malek reads The Empty Pot (storylineonline.net/books/the-empty-pot/), written and illustrated by Demi, and published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.
A beloved Chinese folk tale about honesty rewarded, The Empty Pot is the story of a young Chinese boy named Ping who loves flowers and can make anything grow. When the Emperor needs a successor, he announces a contest among the children to grow the best flower. He gives each child a seed to plant, except unknown to the children the seeds are cooked and are unable to grow. When Ping arrives at the competition as the only child with an empty pot, he is crowned Emperor for his honesty and courage.
Following his nearly 7-minute reading, Malek shares what he loves about The Empty Pot, “It does allow me to look inside and realize just how much truth means,” says Malek. “Because ultimately the only consequences are feeling like you’re courageous and honorable and a bigger person. And I guarantee you the truth always wins.” He concludes by encouraging his young viewers to “keep telling the truth.”
“We are so excited to have this year’s Oscar and SAG Award winner Rami Malek read The Empty Pot for Storyline Online. Rami’s powerful read aloud of this beautiful book is one that we think children will enjoy all over the world,” says Cyd Wilson, Executive Director of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. “And the story’s valuable message of telling the truth and having the courage to be honest is a timely and important lesson for everyone.
Malek joins Oprah Winfrey, Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Chris Pine, Kristen Bell, Justin Theroux, Michelle Yeoh, Marc Maron and dozens more beloved actors who have volunteered their time and talent to read for Storyline Online and inspire a love of reading in children.
An Emmy®-nominated program of the non-profit SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Storyline Online® streams 55 videos at no cost to children, parents, and educators worldwide. The site receives over 10 million views every month and is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, representing 1.7 million teachers and education professionals.
As with all Storyline Online videos,The Empty Pot comes with a complimentary supplemental activity guide aligned with Common Core Standards that strengthens verbal, written and comprehension skills. Aimed at 1st-2nd grade students, these activities encourage children to engage in critical thinking activities and ponder the themes of the book including honesty, telling the truth and triumph through failure.
In addition to the website, Storyline Online offers a free app for iPhone and Chrome devices.
To watch The Empty Pot and all Storyline Online videos, visit storylineonline.net, and subscribe to youtube.com/storylineonline. Keep up with new videos in 2019 by following @StorylineOnline on Twitter and Storyline Online on Facebook
ABOUT THE SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA while serving the public at large through its award-winning children’s literacy program Storyline Online®. The Foundation relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to maintain its free programs. For more information, visit sagaftra.foundation.
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