As I've said many times, we have no complete database of the programs we've aired over the decades. This is a shame because there are dozens of shows I watched as a kid or fondly remember from my years of working for public television that I can find little information on. Thankfully, the Internet is a great resource. That's why I was pleased to find a forgotten gem on YouTube. It's called THE BOOK BIRD even though I remember it as COVER TO COVER. A quick look online shows it apparently had different titles over the years, including STORYBOUND and READIT. But the premise of each was the same: former elementary school teacher John Robbins would introduce viewers to a book and then draw scenes from the book as passages were read. The show ran for several decades under its various titles as a fixture of children's and educational programming blocks on public broadcasting stations around the country. I remember seeing it in fourth grade and being so impressed with Robbin's artistic skills. It was just a cool show and I'm thrilled to find it online. See for yourself...
A quick dive on the show's host finds that John Robbins was an illustrator and educator who was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He studied art and music at East Carolina University. For many years, Robbins worked with Washington, DC's WETA, developing educational programming for elementary school students. He passed away in 2016 after a long illness.
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