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Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Josh Gad's favorite travel splurge isn't what you'd expect
Josh Gad is best known for voicing lovable snowman Olaf in Disney's "Frozen," but at home, he plays a very different role: that of an overly enthusiastic travel planner and book evangelist for his daughters. The actor and father recently partnered with Kindle Kids to encourage summer reading – something he admits has become a small miracle in his own household. Fresh off a family trip to Malta, Gad spoke with USA TODAY about his mission to raise curious, engaged readers, how he navigates family travel with a jam-packed itinerary, and why his Kindle is currently filled with historical nonfiction and literary classics. Along the way, he reveals his go-to vacation splurges, travel pet peeves, and the moment he realized his kids had started choosing books over screens – on their own. The following interview was edited for length and clarity. Josh Gad: When we travel, it's a very difficult thing to pack a bunch of heavy (books), and so when this technology presented itself, it was a no-brainer. You know, my wife and I, in general, are people who want them to – if they're going to use technology – for it to be technology we can get behind. ... You engage with reading, you know, the Book Crew, which is something that comes with signing up (with Kindle Kids). It's just a really fun opportunity for younger kids to utilize, to be part of something that gives them a sense of community, and it was really engaging for them. We just got back from Malta, and… I'm the worst person to travel with when it comes to my family because I push, push – we get up at like 6 a.m., and we don't stop going until like 10 p.m. It's always like, "Gotta go see history!" But there were times when it was super hot, and so there was one day in particular when we got back to the room, and I was so impressed because I do basically "free time" for my daughters. And they could have easily turned on their iPads to watch something, and they started reading books. My wife and I just looked at each other, and we were like: "This is a miracle." ... The fact that our kids are voluntarily choosing to do this is like everything you could hope for as a parent. Captain Sandy shares the travel moment that changed her life, why boating is an escape JG: We're gonna go again (to Europe) later this summer, and we are still deciding which country we're gonna go to. I always like to go places I've never been. But I also love return trips. Italy is the favorite out of ours – my wife is Italian and that's where we go more often than not. But we're going to try new places this summer. We're thinking about Croatia, Switzerland, maybe Austria or Germany – giving the kids a sense of culture, a sense of appreciation for, as I said before, history and art. Those are the kinds of trips we love the most because it's entertainment – we try to make it a really fun experience while, in the process, giving them the ability to learn something new. For instance, in Malta – I had never been before, and I'm a history buff – and being able to walk my daughter through these ancient medieval fortified walls, or bring them to a Neolithic temple … and sort of walk them through this written history where everybody from the Phoenicians to the Arabs to the Knights of Malta have all been present, it was really … cool to engage with them in a methodology of learning where you're actually walking in the footsteps of ancient cultures. And seeing their eyes light up – we went to this place called the Hypogeum, a 6,000-year-old burial site for the Neolithic community that lived there – and to look at them and go, 'Guys, this is older than the Great Pyramid, this is older than Stonehenge,' and see them engaged in a way that is really cool. As brands retreat from Pride, this company stepped up for visibility in rural towns JG: I don't like when I do (a beach destination); I then need to do something else because I feel like I've wasted my vacation … I feel like being idle is like a wasted opportunity of travel. I'm a consumer. I love to consume information – obviously food, but I love to consume culture, knowledge, music, history. So, like, I get travel FOMO (fear of missing out). And what I mean by that is when I'm in a place, and I don't see it all, I get FOMO. So, much to the chagrin of my wife and my daughters, they have to suffer some of the consequences of my curiosity. They are always like, 'Can we please do a day where we do nothing?' And I'm like, 'It depends on how many more days we have!' Story continues below. JG: I'm never more alive than when I'm out on the open water. I think that's the byproduct of being born in South Florida and being raised by the ocean. One of my favorite things to do is get out and explore a new area by water. So, oftentimes, we go to Lake Como (in Italy) or to many of the great lakes in Lago Maggiore or Lago d'Orta, and we will always rent a boat and explore the perimeters of these beautiful regions. Similarly, when we go down south to Positano or Malta or Capri, we do the same. So, everywhere we go that has either a lake or Mediterranean coast or an ocean – whatever it is – if we're in proximity to water, I'll charter a boat. We'll be on the water at some point. That's my big splurge. That's usually where I drop the most money, and my wife will go, 'Are you nuts?' And I'll say, 'Yes – but think about the memories.' I also love to splurge on good food. I love when my daughters are in a different culture and eat the cuisine of that culture. We're very adamant about not doing chicken fingers and burgers. You will eat what the people of this region eat. And sometimes they won't enjoy it – but as long as they try things, we're happy. So we try to take them to meals that are influenced by the region we're visiting. JG: I love early reading nonfiction or historical fiction. One of my favorite authors is Erik Larson. I love "In the Garden of Beasts" and "The Splendid and the Vile." I've also been absolutely the biggest fan of a young author named Madeline Miller, who wrote "The Song of Achilles" – they're sort of Greek mythology-influenced books. And now I'm doing something very interesting – I'm actually having a summer of classics. I really don't remember "The Odyssey" or "The Iliad," and maybe it's the presence of one of the upcoming movies that's piqued my curiosity. So I'm going back and revisiting some of the greats. I've never read "Moby Dick" – that is on my list. I'm going back and reading "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" because my daughters have never read them and did not know who Mark Twain was. And I was like, 'This is outrageous.' So, it's an ambitious summer, for sure. But I'm excited to check off some books that I otherwise never got around to reading. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Josh Gad gets his daughters to choose books over screens
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Josh Gad's favorite travel splurge isn't what you'd expect
Josh Gad is best known for voicing lovable snowman Olaf in Disney's "Frozen," but at home, he plays a very different role: that of an overly enthusiastic travel planner and book evangelist for his daughters. The actor and father recently partnered with Kindle Kids to encourage summer reading – something he admits has become a small miracle in his own household. Fresh off a family trip to Malta, Gad spoke with USA TODAY about his mission to raise curious, engaged readers, how he navigates family travel with a jam-packed itinerary, and why his Kindle is currently filled with historical nonfiction and literary classics. Along the way, he reveals his go-to vacation splurges, travel pet peeves, and the moment he realized his kids had started choosing books over screens – on their own. The following interview was edited for length and clarity. What prompted you to partner with Kindle Kids? Josh Gad: When we travel, it's a very difficult thing to pack a bunch of heavy (books), and so when this technology presented itself, it was a no-brainer. You know, my wife and I, in general, are people who want them to – if they're going to use technology – for it to be technology we can get behind. ... You engage with reading, you know, the Book Crew, which is something that comes with signing up (with Kindle Kids). It's just a really fun opportunity for younger kids to utilize, to be part of something that gives them a sense of community, and it was really engaging for them. We just got back from Malta, and… I'm the worst person to travel with when it comes to my family because I push, push – we get up at like 6 a.m., and we don't stop going until like 10 p.m. It's always like, "Gotta go see history!" But there were times when it was super hot, and so there was one day in particular when we got back to the room, and I was so impressed because I do basically "free time" for my daughters. And they could have easily turned on their iPads to watch something, and they started reading books. My wife and I just looked at each other, and we were like: "This is a miracle." ... The fact that our kids are voluntarily choosing to do this is like everything you could hope for as a parent. You just got back from Malta, what other family trips do you have planned for the summer? JG: We're gonna go again (to Europe) later this summer, and we are still deciding which country we're gonna go to. I always like to go places I've never been. But I also love return trips. Italy is the favorite out of ours – my wife is Italian and that's where we go more often than not. But we're going to try new places this summer. We're thinking about Croatia, Switzerland, maybe Austria or Germany – giving the kids a sense of culture, a sense of appreciation for, as I said before, history and art. Those are the kinds of trips we love the most because it's entertainment – we try to make it a really fun experience while, in the process, giving them the ability to learn something new. For instance, in Malta – I had never been before, and I'm a history buff – and being able to walk my daughter through these ancient medieval fortified walls, or bring them to a Neolithic temple … and sort of walk them through this written history where everybody from the Phoenicians to the Arabs to the Knights of Malta have all been present, it was really … cool to engage with them in a methodology of learning where you're actually walking in the footsteps of ancient cultures. And seeing their eyes light up – we went to this place called the Hypogeum, a 6,000-year-old burial site for the Neolithic community that lived there – and to look at them and go, 'Guys, this is older than the Great Pyramid, this is older than Stonehenge,' and see them engaged in a way that is really cool. You sound like a very go-go-go traveler. What's your family's – or your own – travel pet peeve? JG: I don't like when I do (a beach destination); I then need to do something else because I feel like I've wasted my vacation … I feel like being idle is like a wasted opportunity of travel. I'm a consumer. I love to consume information – obviously food, but I love to consume culture, knowledge, music, history. So, like, I get travel FOMO (fear of missing out). And what I mean by that is when I'm in a place, and I don't see it all, I get FOMO. So, much to the chagrin of my wife and my daughters, they have to suffer some of the consequences of my curiosity. They are always like, 'Can we please do a day where we do nothing?' And I'm like, 'It depends on how many more days we have!' Story continues below. What do you tend to splurge on during your travels? JG: I'm never more alive than when I'm out on the open water. I think that's the byproduct of being born in South Florida and being raised by the ocean. One of my favorite things to do is get out and explore a new area by water. So, oftentimes, we go to Lake Como (in Italy) or to many of the great lakes in Lago Maggiore or Lago d'Orta, and we will always rent a boat and explore the perimeters of these beautiful regions. Similarly, when we go down south to Positano or Malta or Capri, we do the same. So, everywhere we go that has either a lake or Mediterranean coast or an ocean – whatever it is – if we're in proximity to water, I'll charter a boat. We'll be on the water at some point. That's my big splurge. That's usually where I drop the most money, and my wife will go, 'Are you nuts?' And I'll say, 'Yes – but think about the memories.' I also love to splurge on good food. I love when my daughters are in a different culture and eat the cuisine of that culture. We're very adamant about not doing chicken fingers and burgers. You will eat what the people of this region eat. And sometimes they won't enjoy it – but as long as they try things, we're happy. So we try to take them to meals that are influenced by the region we're visiting. What's on your Kindle reading list right now? JG: I love early reading nonfiction or historical fiction. One of my favorite authors is Erik Larson. I love "In the Garden of Beasts" and "The Splendid and the Vile." I've also been absolutely the biggest fan of a young author named Madeline Miller, who wrote "The Song of Achilles" – they're sort of Greek mythology-influenced books. And now I'm doing something very interesting – I'm actually having a summer of classics. I really don't remember "The Odyssey" or "The Iliad," and maybe it's the presence of one of the upcoming movies that's piqued my curiosity. So I'm going back and revisiting some of the greats. I've never read "Moby Dick" – that is on my list. I'm going back and reading "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" because my daughters have never read them and did not know who Mark Twain was. And I was like, 'This is outrageous.' So, it's an ambitious summer, for sure. But I'm excited to check off some books that I otherwise never got around to reading.
Gizmodo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Prime Day Slashes Kids Device Bundle by 52% for Back-to-School, Pay Peanuts for Tablet, Kindle, and Echo Pop
Finding the right tech for kids is always a balancing act. You want something that keeps them engaged, encourages creativity, and helps them learn, but also gives you peace of mind. Too many devices are either too limited or too wide open, making it hard to know where to start. That's why this Amazon Kids bundle is a good idea. Not only does it combine three devices that you can feel good about the kids using, but you can save a serious amount of money right now thanks to this Prime Day sale. And trust us, these are the kind of thing you're going to want to save some money on. Head to Amazon now to get the Amazon Kids Device Bundle with Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet (32GB), Kindle Kids (Space Whale) and Echo Pop Kids (Avengers) for just $155. That's down from its list price of $320, saving you $165. That's a whopping 52% off for Prime Day. See at Amazon The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet is the heart of the bundle. It comes with a kid-friendly interface, a durable protective case, and built-in parental controls that let you set screen time limits, filter content, and track usage. It's not a toy, though. It's a real tablet, with an 8-inch HD screen, long battery life, and access to thousands of apps, games, books, and educational tools through Amazon Kids+. Also included is the Kindle Kids e-reader, which can help kids focus on reading without the distractions of videos, apps, or notifications. It's lightweight, easy on the eyes, and comes with a colorful case and access to a huge digital library. Then there's the Echo Pop Kids, a compact smart speaker with fun character designs and kid-safe Alexa functionality. Kids can ask questions, listen to music, hear bedtime stories, or set timers, all while staying within the boundaries you set. It's a helpful addition to their routine without turning into yet another screen. The bundle also comes with a six-month Amazon Kids+ subscription, offering access to thousands of curated books, games, and shows across all three devices. After that, the subscription is optional, and you're free to cancel or continue based on what works for your family. If you've been looking for a way to introduce your child to tech without the usual headaches, this is a strong, well-rounded option. It's a smart bundle at a great price, and a solid way to make screen time feel a little more meaningful. You get it for just $155, which is 52% off for Prime Day. Don't miss out on this one, especially with the holidays coming up. See at Amazon
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Josh Gad partners with Amazon Kindle Kids to encourage summer reading.
Josh Gad with his wife and two daughters Amazon Kindle Kids and actor Josh Gad (Frozen, The Book of Mormon) have officially joined forces to encourage children to read more over summer vacation with the 'Backseat Book Crew' initiative. 'If there's one thing that I love my kids doing more than anything else, it's reading,' Gad tells me over Zoom. 'It's something that has been so important to me, being a published author now, that happens because of an appreciation for literature. My passion for literature probably started around my kids' age. So around 14 is when I actually started falling in love with reading, as opposed to dreading it, because it was mostly an assignment. To their credit, my kids [actually] found delight in reading at a far younger age. I used to read them the Harry Potter books. We would do it as a family, I would do all the voices, and I think they just found that so joyful." While open to everyone, the virtual book club (which you can learn more about here) should appeal greatly to families planning to travel over break, especially if those families have kids making their way through several titles at once. "My girls like to read five to six books at a time. I don't know how they do it,' the actor says. 'But that can be a pain in the butt when you're traveling, because you want to limit the amount of luggage you're taking. The fact that my kids have their own version of a Kindle, a Kindle Kids, [means] Gad, who has several excursions planned for the summer — including a journey overseas and trips to national parks across Canada and the United States — knows his kids are just as grateful for their e-readers as he is. '[They] get really annoyed being in a car with me for long periods of time. I'm like Clark Griswold when I travel,' he adds with a smile, comparing himself to Chevy Chase's iconic character from the National Lampoon's Vacation film series. 'I love to annoy them. I love to point out sites. I love to just go early and go hard. And so, having a device like this [as well as] headphones allows them to tune me out, which I'm sure gives them a lot of joy and pleasure." In addition to packing efficiently, embracing the unexpected, and assigning snack duty, one of Gad's golden travel rules is 'make the back seat fun for kids," he reveals. "In this case, giving them a Kindle is really fun for them. It also gives them an education. "And then my type of travel, unfortunately, when we're done with the vacation, I want everyone to feel like they need a vacation. That's how much we do, that's how hard we work. I love museums. I love history. We're going to Malta next week and I plan on taking them to all sorts of different old buildings that they're going to dread. But I hope that one day they come to appreciate the experience and knowledge that comes with those kinds of trips." Over the last year, Gad has openly explored a great deal of his own personal history with In Gad We Trust (a memoir-adjacent collection of essays) and Dark Horse's limited comic series, The Writer (all issues are now available in trade paperback form). Created alongside the Berkowitz Brothers, Ben and Max, the latter — an effervescent cocktail of an adventure that incorporates and remixes Jewish tradition, mysticism, and folklore — served as an ode to Gad's background as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. 'It's amazing how many myths and how much mythology has had its day — not only in literature writ large, but specifically in the annals of comic books and graphic novels,' he says. "And yet somehow, outside of a very few exceptions (I think Raiders of Lost Ark is probably the the best example) Jewish and, in particular, Old Testament mythology, is something that hasn't really been tapped into. When the Berkowitz Brothers presented me with that opportunity, I immediately said yes. So many of the great, influential writers in this industry were Jewish. And so, not only getting to create an homage to them, but also tackle a subject matter that allows it to be front and center has been really exciting. It's been incredibly thrilling to watch people not only consume this as entertainment, but also appreciate the knowledge element of it and be like, 'How have I never heard these stories? Why do I not know about this?'" Josh Gad's daughters When it comes to his own reading preferences, 'there isn't a genre that I won't tap into as long as it's interesting in some way, shape or form,' Gad shares. One of his recent favorites was Percival Everett's James, an acclaimed retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim. 'I'm actually having my kids read some books by Mark Twain on their Kindle Kids this summer, because I shockingly realized that it was a glaring omission from their lexicon of books. I was like, 'Oh no, you guys need to Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer!' I'll probably revisit those books again.' Given that one of his daughters 'is obsessed with Greek mythology,' Gad is also revisiting Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles and Circe — 'two of my favorite books ever' — to see if they're appropriate for younger readers. 'We may actually pop open The Odyssey before the Nolan movie comes out,' he adds. Then comes the mea culpa. 'This is going to appall a lot of people that I've never read this before,' he says before admitting that he only just got through Stephen King's 11/22/63, a richly-detailed thriller about an English teacher who goes back in time to try and prevent the JFK assassination from taking place. 'I love a good time travel book and I don't know how I missed this," finishes Gad. 'I've read a lot of early Stephen King and there are some glaring things on the later end that I haven't read.' Those who sign up for the Kindle Kids Backseat Book Crew will receive a number of reading-themed stickers, a 'Kindle Kid On Board' bumper sticker, a sew-on patch, a number of reading recommendations for the summer, and a a 10% off promo code for their next Kindle Kids or Kindle Paperwhite Kids purchase through Amazon.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
E Ink and MediaTek Donate 58 eReaders to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana
The eRead for the future initiative focuses on delivering cutting edge technology that promotes reading for kids BILLERICA, Mass., May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- E Ink ( the originator, pioneer, and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, announced today its collaborative donation with MediaTek to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana as part of E Ink's eRead for the Future program. E Ink and MediaTek are donating 58 Amazon Kindle Kids eReaders—each Kindle Kids device features an E Ink ePaper display for a comfortable, paper-like reading experience and is powered by MediaTek's advanced chipset technology. 'The donation from E Ink and MediaTek will have a meaningful impact on the children,' said Brandon Smith, Clubs Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana. 'Access to books and educational tools is crucial for our Club kids' development, and these Kindle devices open up a world of opportunities for their learning.' During the upcoming summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana is running a Summer Reading program to combat reading skill loss during the summer. These Kindle Kids will be used to support this program. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that E Ink's ePaper screens with a ComfortGaze front light are up to three times healthier for eyes than LCD screens. As distraction and blue light dominate modern devices, paper-like E Ink screens provide a healthier screen time option. Blue light from LED and fluorescent lighting, as well as monitors, tablets, and mobile devices, can negatively affect vision over the long term, according to the American Optometric Association. Unlike traditional LCD screens, ePaper screens are non-emissive, meaning they rely on ambient light for viewing. Devices like the Amazon Kindle can help families minimize the blue-light hazard and enable more focused reading and learning. 'This collaboration with E Ink and the Boys & Girls Clubs is a wonderful opportunity to share our passion for technology with future generations,' said Jerry Yu, Corporate Senior Vice President at MediaTek. 'These Kindles are valuable tools that ensure our youth have access to more important resources to empower deeper learning.' 'Our partnership with MediaTek and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana is steeped in helping inspire a lifelong love of reading,' said Lynne Garone, Associate Vice President of Corporate Learning and Social Responsibility at E Ink Corporation. 'Our ePaper technology is designed to make reading more enjoyable and accessible for kids everywhere.' To expand on eRead for the Future program in 2025, this eReader donation reflects E Ink and MediaTek's ongoing commitment to supporting communities and creating opportunities for children through technology and education. The devices come bundled with a 6-month subscription to Amazon Kids+, giving the young readers unlimited access to thousands of children's books, with a part of the donation being reserved for a permanent book collection. In 2024, E Ink engaged over 22 partners across the ePaper ecosystem to participate in the social good initiative, eRead for the Future, that focuses on delivering technology that elevates students' reading abilities. Through last year's collaboration, E Ink donated 1,024 color eReaders, benefiting over 15,000 students across 40 elementary schools. The total donation value was nearly USD 1 million and saved 777 metric tons of carbon from reading digital, nonprinted, books. For context, if 160 million eReaders worldwide download 50 eBooks each over a five-year period, this totals 8 billion eBooks. In comparison, if all these books were read in paper form, it would equate to nearly 60 million tons of CO2e. About E Ink E Ink Holdings Inc. ( based on technology from MIT's Media Lab, provides an ideal display medium for applications spanning eReaders and eNotes, retail, home, hospital, transportation, logistics, and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. E Ink's electrophoretic display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its low power displays enable customers to reach their sustainability goals, and E Ink has pledged using 100% renewable energy in 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. E Ink has been recognized for their efforts by receiving validation from Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and is listed in both the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Indexes. Listed in Taiwan's Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world's largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit E Ink. We Make Surfaces Smart and Green. Contact:V2 Communications for E Inkeink@ in to access your portfolio
