What Is International Children's Book Day?

Question: What Is International Children's Book Day?

Answer: International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is an annual event, which is held on around April 2, the birth date of Hans Christian Andersen. It is sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). According to the IBBY Web site, "International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books."

Each year, one of the 70 National Sections of the IBBY around the world serves as the international sponsor of ICBD. It selects the theme and oversees the development of promotional materials for ICBD. The materials are then used to promote reading and children's books. Often, schools and libraries hold events in conjunction with International Children's Book Day.

The 2009 international sponsor is EBBY - The Egyptian Section of IBBY, and the 2009 theme is "I am the World." In addition to the poster by Hani D. El-Masri, there is a companion poem, which begins,

“I am the world, and the world is me
For through my book
I can be whatever I want to be.
Words and pictures, verse and prose
Take me to places both far and close.”

The theme of the 2008 International Children's Book Day, which was sponsored by the Thailand IBBY National Section, was "Books Enlighten: Knowledge Delights."

There are wonderful children's books being published around the world. ICBD is a good time to make a point of sharing books originally published in other countries with your children.