Why Is My Brother-In-Law On The Front Page Of The Fresno Bee?
Want a five-minute coronavirus break?
By Marilyn Nelson on March 20, 2020
My bother-in-law, Bob Nelson, is the biggest, friendliest extrovert you’ll ever meet. From the minute we met I knew this guy was a force of nature. He’s loud, fun and forever a champion for children. As the Superintendent of the Fresno Unified School District his mantra is #MilitantPositivity. He practices it daily.
Now that our world has turned upside down, in his inimitable style, my brother-in-law has found a way to reach out to the families in his school district to offer a fun distraction.
When Bob started reading children’s books on YouTube, The Fresno Bee called it, “just about the nicest thing on the Internet.” That’s how he ended up on the front page of paper. Ordered to stay home like the rest of California, Bob still feels the call to be there for the families and especially the children in his district. He is driven to serve his community.
If you need a break from the stress-inducing news, watch Bob read BJ Novak’s ‘The Book With No Pictures’
He’s also trying to learn Spanish, so he’s sharing stories in both English and Spanish. Along with my niece Destiny, they encourage kids to talk to their parents if they feel nervous about what’s going on in the world right now.
But his reading of Eric Litwin’s ‘Pete the Cat’s I Love My White Shoes’ is my favorite. Wearing his Mr. Rogers sweater and showing off his singing skills he encourages us to be good to each other. That’s what Bob Nelson is all about. A great guy that cares, a lot.
