'Reading Rainbow' Host Debuts New Children's Book and Announces the Show's Online Return

— -- Reading Rainbow is back! Emmy-winning actor and host of the old favorite children’s show, LeVar Burton, stopped by “Good Morning America” this morning to share the news of the show’s online return.

Burton chatted with Robin Roberts about the release of his first book, “The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm,” which was entirely funded through Kickstarter.

“For 31 years I’ve been promoting children’s literature and this is my first children’s book,” he said on “GMA.” “It was really inspired by how we need in this day and age as parents to really teach our kids how to handle adversity and difficult moments.”

The book is about a rhino who watches his world wash away after a devastating storm and then goes through a journey toward healing.

“School shootings and hurricanes and all kinds of national tragedies and disaster and a 24-hour news cycle,” Burton, 57, said. “Our kids are bewildered hearing all kinds of things, and dealing with their fears is not always so easy.”

The book will include questions in the back for parents to use to initiate conversations with their children about their feelings toward world issues.

“I really would love for this to become a tool for families to use and really talk to one another about those things that are difficult to talk about,” he said.

The Kickstarter campaign, which raised $6.4 million, including a $1 million donation from Seth McFarlane, will bring the library of Reading Room content to classrooms and children across the country.

“We are able now to give universal access. That was the whole point – ‘Every Child, Everywhere’ was what we called it – we’re going to be able to be in classrooms and on the Web and all devices, gaming consoles,” Burton announced. “Everywhere kids consume their content, ‘Reading Rainbow’ will be there.”

Burton also held a Twitter chat while on the show, answering viewers’ questions live.