It must have been a little startling for new mothers at University Hospital to see Utah's first lady, Jacalyn Leavitt, burst into their rooms and hand them a red book.

But Leavitt was on a mission, armed with "Leemelo," a paperback she wrote and had translated into Spanish. It's the new version of "Read to Me," Leavitt's book for young families.

"There are 50,000 babies born each year in our state," Leavitt said Tuesday before setting out for University Hospital's maternity ward. One of the most effective ways to prepare children for success in school, she added, is to read to them as babies.

"Leemelo" is "Read to Me" translated into Spanish by Eric Parrish and illustrated by Utah artist Lily Toy Hong. The new book's text is in both English and Spanish, to ease understanding by parents and children. Spanish-speaking parents can ask for the English version if they prefer it, Leavitt said. But Tony Yapias, director of the state Office of Hispanic Affairs, said the bilingual version may help both generations keep the lines of communication open. "Kids learn English so much faster than their parents do," he said, so reading in Spanish and English, with their parents, can keep them from forgetting their first language.

"We realized a few months ago, particularly after going down to Mexico . . . that one in 10 people in our state are Latinos," Leavitt said. She called Merit Medical CEO Fred Lampropoulos, who had funded the first printing of "Read to Me" in English almost four years ago. When she asked him to help pay for a Spanish printing, Lampropoulos agreed and supplied much of the financing for 10,000 copies. That's enough for two years of giving the books to new parents all over the state, Leavitt said, since an estimated 10 percent of Utah's 50,000 babies are born to Spanish-speaking families.

Of the 300 babies delivered each month at University Hospital, about half are born to Spanish-speaking parents, according to spokesman Jason Burgess. English-speaking parents have been receiving "Read to Me" free since 2000, and the new printing is designed to promote reading to thousands more families, Leavitt said.

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E-MAIL: durbani@desnews.com