Meghan Markle chooses one of her favourite children’s books, about a female engineer, for ‘Literally Healing’ session at LA Children’s Hospital – after first reading it at Invictus Games
This week, new photos were released of the Duchess of Sussex entertaining young patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) on March 21 with a storytelling session in which she chose a personal favorite for the occasion, after debuting the book in September read during the Invictus Games.
Following Queen Camilla’s love of reading to young people, Meghan led a ‘Literally Healing’ session and at the top of the list was Rosie Revere, Engineer, a book by American author Andrea Beaty that Meghan, 42, first read to the children of Invictus Games athletes in Dusseldorf in September.
Beaty is known for writing books that encourage young girls to enjoy STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths, and also wrote Ada Twist, Scientist, which was adapted by Netflix.
Rosie Revere, Engineer was one of the books the Duchess read aloud during her visit to the hospital in California, which is a 90-minute drive from the hospital. The Montecito home that Meghan shares with Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
Meghan Markle stopped by Los Angeles Children’s Hospital on March 21, and photos of the “literally healing” session emerged this week; the Duchess, 42, chose to read Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty, which she also read at the Invictus Games in September
In September, Meghan hosted a private reading session for children during the Invictus Game – and Rosie Revere, Engineer was one of the stories she read
“Children laughed and sang as the Duchess became a character on every page as she read patients’ favorite books such as Rosie the Riveter, Pete the Cat and I Saw a Cat,” read an official statement about the visit.
Photos and footage show Meghan also shared hugs with the children and staff, and took photos with them.
Meghan’s story time was part of the Make March Matter campaign, an annual fundraiser at the hospital that aims to create hope and build a healthier future with the help of “celebrities, businesses and the greater community.”
CHLA’s Literally Healing program provides more than 65,000 books to families each year.
“Aiming for literacy development and fun, the mother of two also helped children with STEAM activities linked to each book, which helped patients learn counting, coloring, problem-solving and more,” the statement added, adding the A in STEAM stands for Art.
The book Rosie Revere, Engineer is an illustrated story about a girl and her dream of becoming a great engineer.
The Duchess of Sussex visited the hospital on March 21, when she led a ‘Literally Healing’ session
Meghan traveled 90 minutes from her home in Montecito to Los Angeles to meet and read to patients
The book Rosie Revere, Engineer is an illustrated story about a girl and her dream of becoming a great engineer – author Andrea Beaty is known for encouraging girls to enjoy STEM subjects
The preview reads: ‘Where some people see nonsense, Rosie Revere sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie comes up with amazing inventions.
“Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repellent cheese hats. Rosie’s gadgets would blow their minds if she ever showed them to anyone.
‘Afraid of failure, she hides them under her bed.
‘Until the fateful visit of her great-aunt Rose, who shows her that a first flop is not something to fear, but something to celebrate.’
The Duchess herself is a children’s author after publishing The Bench, a story inspired by Archie’s relationship with his father, Prince Harry.
Meghan’s latest storytime session was part of the Make March Matter campaign, an annual hospital fundraiser that aims to create hope and build a healthier future with the help of “celebrities, businesses and the greater community”
During her visit, Meghan (pictured) also shared hugs with the children and staff, and took photos with them
Meghan poses for a group photo during her visit to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles last month
For her outing, Meghan opted for an elegant floral ensemble and wore a mask, likely to protect the children from any infections
Meghan was seen interacting with children during the Storytime session at the children’s hospital
“Children laughed and sang as The Duchess became a character on every page as she read patients’ favorite books such as Rosie the Riveter, Pete the Cat and I Saw a Cat,” read a statement about the solo visit
“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born,” Meghan said in the press release from publisher Random House Children’s Books. ‘That poem became this story.’
The book was dedicated by Meghan to Harry and Archie: ‘For the man and the boy who make my heart beat faster’, was the dedication.
To celebrate Archie’s first birthday in May 2020, the mother and son appeared in a clip playing Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.