Milk processors' "milk mustache" campaign and Hearst Magazines are offering a free children's book with a purchase of two gallons of milk.  The aim is to help parents teach children about the importance both of drinking milk and reading.

Parents will get a free children's book with an approximate retail value of $4-15 when the buy milk.  The aim also is to benefit children's literacy.

Garfield, the cartoon cat, and a milk mustache celebrity kicked off the "Read to Me" promotion by leading a milk strory time group in Chicago.

Suzanne Craig, a dietitian with the National Dairy Council, said parents should make reading with their children a habit.  "Set aside a certain time every day to read to your child and enjoy a glass of milk, and maybe even a cookie" together during the reading time.

Children should be offered flavored milk, such as chocolate or strawberry, custard, chocolate pudding or rice pudding made with milk to eat as the parent reads a book to them, Craig suggested.