When is International Children’s Book Day?
International Children’s Book Day occurs on or around April 2nd.
What is International Children’s Book Day?
Not every kid alive today will learn to read. Those lucky children who do learn get access to a world of wonder, delight, and information. To urge kids in that direction, International Children’s Book Day is a chance to inspire the love of reading and promote children’s literature.
Every kid who loves to read knows this: great literature transports the imagination. One second you’re a fourth-grader in the Bronx and the next instant you’re leading the charge of King Arthur’s knights or exploring the Antarctic seas. Books open our minds to the real size of the world.
For International Children’s Book Day, the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) chooses a member country to host the day. Then the IBBY invites a well-known author to craft a message for the world, promoting reading to the world’s children.
It’s sort of a birthday party too. April 2nd is the birth date of Hans Christian Andersen (1805 – 1875), the Danish author we remember best for retelling classic fairy tales. The IBBY holds International Children’s Book Day on or near his birthday to celebrate his contributions to kid literature.
Fun facts about International Children’s Book Day!
- Hans Christian Andersen brought us such great fairy tales as “The Little Mermaid”, “The Ugly Duckling”, “The Princess and the Pea”, and “Thumbelina”.
- The book Black Beauty is straight from the horse’s mouth. On the title page, author Anna Sewell included the inscription: “translated from the equine.”
- More than 20 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’ first book.
- The famous Beatrix Potter was rejected by so many publishers that she self-published The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
How to celebrate International Children’s Book Day:
- Read the message for International Children’s Book Day. You could read it to your family or with your friends. Teachers can read it with their classes. You can even email it to your coworkers.
- Read a children’s book with your young children or students. Ask what their favorites are. If you don’t have that on hand, get to the library and check it out. If the book matches their reading level, have them read it out loud.
What’s the hashtag for International Children’s Book Day?
Spread the message on social media with #ICBD.