Día de los niños/Día de los libros celebrates kids & books around the world!

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, culminates on April 30 and celebrates children, families, and reading. Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds.

The American Library Association uses this celebration as a commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures. The common goals of all Día programming are to:

Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries.

Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.

Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies.

Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.

American Library Association (dia.ala.org)

The Poudre River Public Library District celebrated Dia on Saturday, April 24 with a virtual program that included a Spanish storytime and a clay modeling workshop. We read the Caldecott award-winning book “We are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade and learned to create an ocean scene out of clay to promote environmental awareness.

The Poudre Libraries also celebrated Día with Harris Elementary School 5th graders. The library district provided copies of “Sleeping with the Light On” and invited author David Unger to talk to the kids. Martha P., with Poudre School District, said: “I am so happy that the 5th grade students at Harris had the opportunity to meet David Unger and to read his book. The students loved his book and were so excited to have their own copies. We really appreciate Poudre River Public Library District and all they do for us.”

At the Poudre Libraries, we celebrate Día as part of our own commitment to include and honor diverse cultures and stories every day, year-round. Respect for culture, heritage, and language is a powerful tool for strengthening families and communities.

Are you ready to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day)? Reading books that feature diverse cultures is a great way to do so. Here are a few children’s titles from around the world that are available at the Poudre Libraries:

Cannonball by Sacha Cotter; illustrated by Josh Morgan

Determined to execute the perfect cannonball dive, a boy tries to follow everyone’s advice but finally hears Nan, an expert and former champion, who advises doing it his own way.

Catch That Chicken by Atinuke; illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

Lami is the best chicken catcher in the whole village. Her sister may be speedy at spelling, her friend fast at braiding hair, and her brother brave with bulls, but when it comes to chickens, nobody is faster or braver than Lami. Award-winning author Atinuke celebrates Nigerian village life in a story vibrantly illustrated by Angela Brooksbank with a universal message at its heart.

A Story About Afiya by James Berry; illustrated by Anna Cunha

Some people have dresses for every occasion but Afiya needs only one. Her dress records the memories of her childhood, from roses in bloom to pigeons in flight, from tigers at the zoo to October leaves falling. A joyful celebration of a young girl’s childhood, written by the late Coretta Scott King Book Award-winning Jamaican poet James Berry.

Under the Great Plum Tree by Sufiya Ahmed; illustrated by Reza Dalvand

An unlikely friendship between Miss Bandari and Mr Magarmach forms when the pair meet under the great plum tree, deep in the heart of India. The story of the monkey and the crocodile is a fable from the Panchatantra, an ancient Indian collection of animal fables dated to 300 BCE. But it’s a tale from around the world and versions can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, China, Japan and the Caribbean.

The Paper Boat by Thao Lam

Thao Lam’s signature collage art tells the wordless story of one family’s escape from Vietnam—a journey intertwined with an ant colony’s parallel narrative. At her home in Vietnam, a girl rescues ants from the sugar water set out to trap them. Later, when the girl’s family flees war-torn Vietnam, ants lead them through the moonlit jungle to the boat that will take them to safety. Impressionistic collages and a moving narrative make this a one-of-a-kind tale of courage, resilience, and hope.

Letters from Bear by Gauthier David; illustrated by Marie Caudry; translated by Sarah Ardizzone

Bird flies south for the winter, leaving Bear to hibernate. Before long, Bear decides to reunite with Bird, writing a series of letters documenting the journey. The warm palette and whimsical illustrations celebrate the beauty of nature and the universal message of friendship and love.

From My Window by Otávio Júnior; illustrated by Vanina Starkoff; translated by Beatriz C. Dias 

A boy describes the building, people, weather, games, and activities he can observe from his window in a favela, a neighborhood in Rio de Janiero. Includes notes about favelas and the author’s experiences growing up in one

Maurice and His Dictionary by Cary Fagan; illustrated by Enzo Lord Mariano

As Maurice and his family flee Nazi Germany, he finds hope in a dictionary he acquires as a refugee. This engaging graphic narrative, based on Fagan’s own family history, invites original discussions of universal themes, such as courage and resilience.

For more, check out this extensive list of Outstanding International Books from the United States Board on Books for Young People: https://www.usbby.org/outstanding-international-books-list.html.

El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros, comúnmente conocido como DÍA, culmina el 30 de abril y celebra a los niños, las familias y la lectura. DÍA es una iniciativa reconocida a nivel nacional que enfatiza la importancia de la alfabetización para todos los niños de todos los orígenes.

La Asociación Americana de Bibliotecas (ALA por sus siglas en inglés) realiza esta celebración como un compromiso para vincular a los niños y sus familias con una diversidad de libros, idiomas y culturas. Los objetivos de la programación del DÍA son:

Celebrar a los niños y conectarlos con el mundo del aprendizaje a través de libros, cuentos y bibliotecas.

Fomentar el desarrollo cognitivo y de la alfabetización de manera que se respete y adopte el idioma y la cultura del hogar del niño.

Proporcionar a las familias recursos comunitarios que brinden oportunidades de aprendizaje a través de diferentes formas de alfabetización.

Reconocer y respetar la cultura, el patrimonio y el idioma como herramientas poderosas para fortalecer familias y comunidades.

American Library Association (dia.ala.org)

El Distrito Bibliotecario Público Poudre River celebró el Día de los Niños el sábado 24 de abril con un programa virtual que incluyó una hora de cuentos en español y un taller de plastilina. Leímos el libro galardonado con el premio Caldecott “Somos protectores del agua” de Carole Lindstrom y Michaela Goade y aprendimos a modelar un paisaje marítimo utilizando plastilina para crear conciencia acerca del medio ambiente.

Las Bibliotecas Poudre también celebraron el Día de los Niños con los estudiantes de quinto grado de la escuela primaria bilingüe Harris. El distrito bibliotecario proporcionó copias de “Sleeping with the Light On” e invitó al autor David Unger a hablar con los niños. Martha P., del Distrito Escolar de Poudre, mencionó: “Estoy muy feliz de que los estudiantes de quinto grado en Harris hayan tenido la oportunidad de conocer a David Unger y leer su libro. A los estudiantes les encantó su libro y estaban muy emocionados de tener su propio ejemplar. Realmente apreciamos al Distrito Bibliotecario Público Poudre River y todo lo que hacen por nosotros”.

En las Bibliotecas Poudre, celebramos el DÍA como parte de nuestro propio compromiso de incluir y honrar la diversidad de culturas e historias todos los días, durante todo el año. El respeto por la cultura, el patrimonio y el idioma es una herramienta poderosa para fortalecer a las familias y las comunidades.