Michelle teases Barack Obama about his ears as couple read children’s book together

Former president and first lady said they wanted to ‘give parents a break’ by doing children’s book reading

Michelle and Barack Obama teamed up to “give parents a break” during quarantine by reading a children‘s book together.

Last month, Michelle Obama announced she would be hosting a regular story-time session for children in lockdown, as part of a four-week series of videos.

The former US first lady’s final reading session took place on Monday 11 May, during which she read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

Three days later, Michelle surprised her fans with an additional reading, this time joined by her famous husband.

As part of the Chicago Public Library’s “Live from the Library” story-time sessions, the couple read The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds in a video shared online by the Obama Foundation.

“Michelle and I want to do our part to give all you parents a break today, so we’re reading The Word Collector for Chicago Public Library,” Barack tweeted.

“It’s a fun book that vividly illustrates the transformative power of words – we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.”

In the video, Michelle describes the first time she visited the library when she was around four years old, recalling how “important” she felt.

After the pair finish reading the book, Michelle states that Barack “looks kind of like Jerome”, the main character in the story.

“They have the same ears,” she states. “Mine are a little bigger than Jerome’s,” the former US president says, to which Michelle responds: “A lot bigger.”

After sharing the video across various social media platforms, several people expressed their admiration for the former presidential couple.

“An adult just listened to them reading a children’s book, that proves how much we miss you guys,” one person commented on Michelle’s Instagram page.

“Awwww watching this gave me so much peace! I could feel the love between you two!” another remarked.

On Twitter, the Obama Foundation revealed that the future site of the Obama Presidential Centre on the South Side of Chicago, where Michelle grew up, will include a new branch of the Chicago Public Library.

“The Obama Presidential Centre will be a place to honour the stories of those who’ve brought us to where we are today — and bring people together to chart an even brighter future,” the foundation states on its website.

“On Chicago’s South Side, the Centre will offer old friends and new visitors alike the chance to explore a world-class museum and gather together for celebrations of all kinds.”