Hollywood, Fla. – October 02, 2026 -- Five babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital at Memorial Hospital Miramar dressed up as a lion, a zebra, a monkey and twin giraffes for this year's Babies with Books Read-A-Thon, marking the hospital's seventh year participating in the national event.

Parents read aloud to babies during the jungle-themed celebration

Families, siblings and caregivers gathered bedside to read to the costumed infants as part of the 2026 Read-A-Thon, which ran September 14-24 during National Literacy Month. The event encourages reading aloud to NICU babies to support early language and brain development and to give families a bonding moment during what can be a stressful hospital stay.

Katherine Zaensi, whose daughter was dressed in zebra stripes, said seeing her baby dressed up "brings light" to the difficulty of having a child in the NICU.

Just 20 minutes of daily reading can make a difference, nurse says

Elaine Green, ARNP, a nurse practitioner at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, said the Read-A-Thon helps parents understand the value of reading to their baby even at this early stage. She said spending about 20 minutes a day reading can have a profound impact and gives parents another way to actively participate in their baby's care.

Participation has grown from 39 NICUs to 249 since 2020

The Babies with Books Read-A-Thon launched in 2020 with 39 participating NICUs and expanded to 249 NICUs in 2025. Last year, participating hospitals logged a combined 73,817 reading sessions over the 11-day event, and Memorial Hospital Miramar ranked No. 23 among all participating NICUs.

Green said parents become empowered to actively participate in their baby's care through the program, and reading is something they can continue long after leaving the NICU.