Young readers can once again be like butterflies in the sky.
Reading Rainbow, the beloved PBS series that inspired generations of children to fall in love with books, is officially making a comeback nearly 20 years after it ended its original run.
And this time, the internet’s favorite librarian, Mychal Threets, will step into the role once held by LeVar Burton.
Threets, formerly the supervising librarian at Solano County Library in California, has become a viral sensation for sharing heartwarming library stories and candid reflections on mental health. His passion for literacy has earned him millions of followers online, making him a natural fit to carry forward the show’s legacy.
The original Reading Rainbow debuted in 1983, designed to help children discover the joy of reading during school breaks. Over 21 seasons and 155 episodes, it collected more than 250 awards, including a Peabody and multiple Daytime Emmys, before its cancellation in 2006.
Now, Buffalo Toronto Public Media, which launched the original series, is relaunching Reading Rainbow with Threets at the helm.
The announcement was made on Instagram across the show’s official account, Threets’ account, and Buffalo Toronto’s page.
“Take a look, it’s in a book,” read the caption. “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!”
In the new era, fans can expect celebrity guest stars like The Bear actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Dancing With the Stars pros Rylee Arnold and Ezra Sosa. Voices for the book segments will include Jamie Chung, Gabrielle Union, Adam Devine, and power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.
For Threets, the opportunity is deeply personal.
“There have been two hosts in the history of Reading Rainbow. The Legend of Literacy, LeVar Burton! And… me, Mychal Threets, a librarian,” he shared on Instagram. “I was raised on “Reading Rainbow,” LeVar Burton is my hero. I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere. I am so happy for all of us that Reading Rainbow is returning! YOU all did this! We’re flying twice as high, butterflies in the sky! Stay tuned.”
