MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Early education group Next Door welcomed a special guest Monday morning to their campus on Capitol Drive. 

Mayor Cavalier Johnson stopped by to read a few children's books to their K-4 students. It's part of Next Door's Read for Children event happening all month long.

For Mayor Johnson, events like these prove why it's so important for city leaders to have a connection with the youth.

"When I was a kid, when I was in school, I never got the chance to see the mayor," Johnson said. "I didn't know who the mayor was, I had no sense of that, and for these kids, I think it's really important for them to see their own reflection in the mayor's office, and so they are certainly able to see that with me."

The Read for Children events will continue through the end of the month, with people across our hometowns volunteering to read to Milwaukee's youth.