- Hi, I'm Barack Obama.
- And I'm Michelle.
- Welcome to Live from the Library.
Today we thought we'd read you a story.
- I remember my first trip to the library
and how important I felt.
It was around age four, my library card was a key
that unlocked a world of knowledge and experiences.
- Public libraries are essential institutions
and that's why we're bringing a new branch
of the Chicago Public Library to the
Obama Presidential Center on the South Side.
When it opens, it will give families one more chance
to explore their interests, learn and engage
with their communities.
And we're excited for you to visit one day.
- We are excited also to share today's book,
The Word Collector
written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds.
- We chose this book because it illustrates
the transformative power of words.
I love words.
- Yeah, your favorite.
So, let's get started.
- Okay.
The Word Collector.
Collectors collect things.
Some people collect stamps.
Some people collect coins.
Others collect rocks.
Some collect art.
Some collect bugs.
Others collect baseball cards.
Some people collect comic books.
And Jerome?
What did he collect?
- Jerome collected words.
He collected words he heard.
My Trip to Peru was perfectly pleasant.
Certain words caught his attention.
- [Barack Obama] He collected words he saw.
Willow Tea Shoppe.
Certain words jumped out at him.
- He collected words he read.
Emerald.
Certain words popped off the page.
- Short and sweet words.
Spark.
Bloom.
Drift.
Dream.
Two-syllable treats.
Treasure.
Motive.
Whisper.
Glimmer.
Hover.
Candid.
- And multi-syllable words that sounded like songs.
Guacamole.
Kaleidoscope.
Wonderful.
Geometry.
Symphony.
- There were words he did not know the meaning of at first,
but they were marvelous to say.
Aromatic.
Vociferous.
Effervescent.
- There words who's sounds were perfectly suited
to their meaning.
Molasses.
Torrential.
Smudge.
Bellow.
Tyrannosaurus Rex.
- Jerome filled his scrapbooks
with more and more
of his favorite words.
- [Michelle] Jerome's collections grew.
He began organizing them.
Dreamy.
Science.
Sad.
Action.
Poetic.
One day, while transporting them
- Jerome slipped and his words went flying.
- [Michelle] Oh my goodness.
As he began to pick them up he noticed his collections
had become jumbled.
Big words next to little words.
Sad words next to dreamy words.
- Jerome began stringing words together.
Words he had not imagined being side by side.
- He used his words to write poems.
He used his poems to make songs.
They moved.
They delighted.
- Some of his simplest were his most powerful.
I understand.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
You matter.
- [Michelle] Jerome eagerly collected more and more
of his favorite words.
- The more words he knew, the clearly he could share
with the world what he was thinking, feeling and dreaming.
One breezy afternoon, Jerome climbed the highest hill,
pulling a wagon packed with his word collection.
- He smiled as he emptied his collection of words
into the wind.
- He saw children in valley below scurrying about
collecting words from the breeze.
- Jerome had no words to describe how happy that made him.
The end.
That was beautiful.
- I love that book.
- He's the word guy.
- I like words.
- And he looks kind of like Jerome too.
They have the same ears.
- Mine are a little bigger than Jerome's.
- A lot bigger.
(laughter)
Thanks for being with us.
Hope you enjoyed today's book, see you soon.
- Bye bye.