Happy International Children’s Book Day

With International Children’s Book Day fast approaching discover more about this special day and a fascinating display of books at Libraries Tasmania Launceston. 

 

Since 1967, the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY) has celebrated Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 2 April, as International Children's Book Day (ICBD). Celebration aims to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.

This year’s ICBD poster, sponsored by IBBY Japan, is a collaboration between writer Eiko Kadono and artist Nani Furiya. The theme is "Cross the Seas on the Wings of Imagination”. Download the poster and flyer to promote this special day.

Locally, Friends of the Library Launceston members, have joined IBBY to hold displays of treasured children’s books (including one from 1896), a selection of Libraries Tasmania’s collection of books by Tasmanian children’s authors and three Silent Books. 

What are Silent Books?

In 2012, when waves of refugees from Africa and the Middle East started arriving on the Italian island of Lampedusa, IBBY launched the project “Silent Books, from the world to Lampedusa and back”. The project involved creating the first library on Lampedusa to be used by local and immigrant children. 

The second part of the project created a collection of silent books (wordless picture books) that could be understood and enjoyed by children regardless of language. These books were collected from IBBY National Sections. There are, to date, six collections of Silent Books — you can find them at https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/silent-books

Each collection has a few Honour Books which are highly recommended. Honoured Australian titles are:

• Shaun Tan, The Arrival Lothian 2006 
• Gregory Rogers, The Boy, the Bear, the Baron, the Bard and Other Dramatic Tales, Allen & Unwin, 2015 
• Freya Blackwood, The Boy and the Elephant, HarperCollins, Sydney 2021

The display at Launceston Library will continue until 11 April. The Silent Books will join a concurrent display hosted at Ravenswood Library until May. 

Nella Pickup

CBCA Tasmania Life Member 

IBBY Australia Executive Committee Member

Friends of the Library Launceston (FOLL) member