- Elliot Worth
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
What Brings Us Together: A Book Babies Graduation Story
There's something quietly extraordinary about a room full of families celebrating a child's very first graduation. Tiny caps and gowns. Five years of books, home visits, bedtime stories, and growth — all leading to this moment.
At this year's Book Babies graduation, two moms took the stage to share what the program had meant to their families. It happened to fall on Mother's Day weekend, which made the celebration feel especially full, and Jenny Rendon was even marking her own birthday. But what stood out most wasn't the occasion. It was their words.
What is Book Babies?
Book Babies is Book Harvest's early literacy program for children from birth through age five. Over the course of the program, families receive free books (over 100!), home visits from a literacy coach, age-appropriate activities to support development, workshops to help prepare children for kindergarten, and the opportunity to open a first savings account of $500.
But more than any single benefit, Book Babies is built on a simple belief: that every child, in every family, deserves to start school as a reader, and that the barriers standing between families and that outcome are ones we can actively work to remove.
Meeting Families Where They Are
For Book Harvest, breaking down barriers isn't just a value; it's built into how the program works. Books are provided in both English and Spanish, literacy coaches are bilingual, interpretation is available at key sessions, and at graduation, parents are invited to speak in the language that feels most natural to them.
That last detail matters more than it might seem. When Jenny Rendon stepped to the microphone on graduation day, she spoke in Spanish — her language, her words, her story. What follows is what she shared, in both languages.
Jenny and Jack: Finding “That and So Much More”
Jenny joined Book Babies five years ago with a clear goal in mind.
“Decidí ser parte de este programa hace 5 años porque estaba en busca de un lugar donde Jack recibiera apoyo para comenzar su desarrollo del lenguaje y alfabetización temprana. Y en Book Babies encontré eso y más.”
“I decided to join five years ago because I was looking for a place where Jack could receive support to begin his language development and early literacy. In Book Babies, I found that and so much more.”
What she found was a program that met her family with consistency and care. A literacy coach arrived at their home regularly, bringing new books matched to Jack's age and activities to build his gross motor skills. A bookshelf arrived so Jack could have his own dedicated space for his favorite stories. Books arrived in English and in Spanish, because a child's imagination doesn't stop at one language.
Over five years, Jenny watched Jack grow from a toddler into a reader. Every book they opened together became a window into new words, new emotions, new animals, new colors.
Her hope now is simple: that other families get to experience what her family did.
"Espero que más familias tengan la oportunidad [de tener] la experiencia de ver cómo sus hijos crean gusto por la lectura y dejan volar su imaginación con la ayuda de sus libros favoritos."
"I hope more families have the opportunity to experience watching their children develop a love for reading and let their imaginations soar with the help of their favorite books."
LaRhonda and Michael Jr.: Connection in a Time of Isolation
LaRhonda Leslie's path into Book Babies looked different from Jenny's; it was shaped by a world that had come to a sudden halt.
Her son Michael Jr. was born during the pandemic, a “rainbow baby” arriving in a season of uncertainty. LaRhonda describes that strange, slowed-down time as an unexpected gift:
"With everything paused and the outside world quiet, I was able to carry him to term with less stress and more presence than I ever imagined possible. In the midst of uncertainty, he became my light."
But when Michael Jr. arrived, new worries followed. How would he socialize? How would he experience the world beyond their home? Then, just when she needed it most, a message from Book Harvest appeared about virtual Book Babies sessions.
"It truly felt like an answered prayer."
Through a screen, literacy coach Alisa brought stories to life, and Michael Jr. smiled and babbled with joy. The kits that arrived by mail became another source of learning and connection, filled with hands-on activities that supported his development and prepared him for preschool and Pre-K.
Over time, those small reading moments grew into something powerful. Michael Jr. began to point at pages, respond to questions, and eventually retell parts of the story in his own way. He created new stories entirely. And what had started as a reading program became something woven into the fabric of their family life.
"To this day, he still brings a book to his father, his sister, or me, asking to have it read aloud."
Two Families, One Outcome.
Jenny and LaRhonda came to Book Babies carrying different stories. Different languages, different fears, different moments that brought them to the program. But they found the same thing on the other side: a community that showed up for their family, and a child who came to love books.
What they share is everything that matters.
Both found a program that showed up for their family — in their home, in their language, in their circumstances. Both watched a child grow from a baby into a reader. Both stood on a stage and said: This place changed us.
As LaRhonda put it in her closing words:
"You are not just teaching children to read — you are helping to build a strong, lasting foundation for their futures."
