With families balancing work and at-home or modified school schedules, starting the day off right has become more important than ever. To help encourage families to cherish shared moments at the breakfast table, Real California Milk — the Tracy, Calif.-based California Milk Advisory Boards (CMAB) — said it created a new digital series of short stories for children. These “Breakfast Time Stories,” starring lovable animated characters, will launch and be available in English and Spanish on April 24 at realcaliforniamilk.com/BreakfastStories.

The stories include: 

• “The Chipmunk Who Was Raised by Wolves”/“La Ardilla Que Fue Criada Por Lobos.”
• “Burt, The Busiest Bear”/“Oscar, El Oso Ocupado.”
• “Shelly Shellbert, Loner Turtle”/“Soledad Caparazón, La Tortuga Solitaria.”

To celebrate the launch, California’s dairy farm families are partnering with the Emmy-winning host of “Access Hollywood,” actor and dad Mario Lopez, for an Instagram live reading event on April 24 at 10:30 a.m. PT. During the event, families across the country will be able to join Lopez on his Instagram page as he reads the story of Charlie, “The Chipmunk Who Was Raised by Wolves,” in English and Spanish, CMAB said.

“As a father of three kids, I know how important it is to sit down together for a healthy breakfast, which isn’t always easy,” said Lopez. “Real California Milk’s breakfast books are such a great tool to get everyone to take a moment to start the day off on the right foot nutritionally and as a family unit.”

The Breakfast Time Stories were written in collaboration with Deutsch LA creative directors Trevor Kuhn, Justin Lesinski and Ryan Wolin, and illustrated by global artists Flavio Remontti, Dmytro Hladkyi and Nathan Joyce, CMAB said. Each one follows a relatable creature as they learn the value of community and bringing their loved ones together through the power of breakfast. Presented digitally using dynamic “scrollytelling” technology, the books allow readers to scroll through charming illustrations to activate engaging animations.

“We developed these simple, sweet breakfast stories for families to enjoy while kicking off the day with a healthy breakfast together,” says Jennifer Giambroni, vice president of communications for Real California Milk. “More time at breakfast means more time with dairy, which plays an essential role at the heart of many breakfast favorites, from cereal and milk and buttered toast to yogurt smoothies and cheesy eggs.”

The initiative is an extension of Real California Milk’s “The Day Can Wait” creative campaign, which showcases how breakfast with family and friends can start the day on a positive step before the demands of everyday life intrude.