PA One Book Program Helps to Instill Love of Reading in Young Children

Families, child care providers, libraries, and community organizations can help to nurture a love of reading in young children through the Pennsylvania One Book program, which offers free, engaging resources to support early literacy and meaningful reading experiences.

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Each year, the PA One Book program selects a book for young children and a collection of easy-to-use tools to bring the story to life. In April, the program named Lori Mortensen’s “Arlo Draws an Octopus” as the 2025 PA One Book of the year. 

In the book, a young boy named Arlo attempts to draw an octopus, but believes that he hasn’t done so successfully. As he vows never to draw an octopus again, he makes a discovery that changes his perspective about drawing. The book is paired with printable activity sheets and additional activities that align to the state’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood.

The resources that accompany the book are designed to be used at home, in classrooms, during library story times, and at community events.

For more information or to download free materials, visit PA One Book’s website.