YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio — As the country continues to open up people are looking for ways to stay connected with others and the outside world. And one Ohio organization is helping kids stay connected through storytelling.

Jonathan Platt reads books for a living, and while he’s not reading to kids, he’s reading for them.

“I think a lot of us have different modalities of learning and not everybody is an aural learner, but I think it’s a new way of getting the message,” said Platt. 

Platt is the founder of a company called Story Chain. It’s an organization he originally started to create audiobooks for kids whose parents are behind bars. Back then, his focus was on editing after visiting jails to record moms and dads reading to their kids.

“Hearing the sound of the voice of someone who loves them the most and hearing a voice that is void of stress,” he said. 

Since then, his company has evolved at one point using his own voice to comfort kids who felt lonely during the pandemic. And now, it's targeting a wider audience, sometimes just serving as a companion on a long road trip.

“I think it will be a great way to stay entertained on the road during a long four or five-hour drive,” he said. 

Oliver Simon, 14, is using Story Chain for the first time. To him, it’s a more enjoyable way to read.

“I feel like I don’t have to focus as much or lose intact of the environment,” said Simon. “Like I could sit outside and watch the sunset while listening to this.”

Platt hopes this will be a good experience for Simon to enjoy as they embark on this new adventure, and he’s curious to see how well it will work. 

“I never thought that this would be a population that we would approach but it works really well so we’re excited about that,” he said.