Cover to Cover (1965 TV program)
A public TV series that brought books to life through illustration.
Cover to Cover is an educational television program that aired on public television in the United States and Canada from the 1960s to the 1990s. Hosted by former elementary school teacher John Robbins, it introduced young viewers to books by reading excerpts while Robbins illustrated scenes. The program encouraged children to find the featured books and finish reading them.
Quick Facts
- Host
- John Robbins
- Original broadcast area
- United States and Canada
- First aired
- 1965
- Last series produced
- 1996
- Target audience age
- 9 to 12
- Production company
- Children's Television International (CTI)
- Distributor
- Greater Washington Educational Television Association (WETA)
Facts from the source article.
Format
Each segment began with John Robbins introducing a book aimed at readers aged nine to twelve. Robbins or another narrator read an episode while the camera showed Robbins illustrating a scene with colored pencils. The reading typically ended at a cliffhanger as the picture was completed. Some programs featured one book; others profiled two books with shorter passages. Additional illustrations, such as watercolor paintings, were provided by artists including Jeanne Turner and Gloria Kamen. At the end, Robbins urged viewers to find the book at a library and read the rest. Many profiled books were Newbery Medal winners, and narrators included Paul Lally and Jane Symons.
Production
The first version of Cover to Cover was a locally produced program in Washington, D.C., in 1965. Two years later, a group in Bloomington, Indiana, produced it for national distribution, with Ray Gladfelter as producer. In 1973, Gladfelter's Instructional Television Cooperative (ITVC) took over production and filmed the first color episodes. The company was renamed Children's Television International (CTI) in 1979. The program aired under titles such as The Book Bird, Storybound, and Readit, as well as variations like Books from Cover to Cover and Read on: Cover to Cover. The last series was produced in 1996.
More in American Children's Education Television Series
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