International Children’s Book Day is observed annually around the world on April 2nd. It coincides with the birthday of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, and its purpose is to instill a love of reading in children at an early age. Experts around the world agree that introducing children to reading early on is the best way to ensure future academic success.

Children who read early tend to do better in school. That’s why it’s important for parents and teachers to encourage children to read, and this holiday is a good opportunity to start. Let’s all come together and help all children reach their full potential by introducing them to the written word.

The History of International Children’s Book Day

This holiday was created in the 1960s by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), and since 1967, this organization has decided on a theme for the holiday. This organization also selects a member region to host the day.

The region then decides which local author should write the message to children of the world on this day. In 2012, the host region was Mexico, and the theme was “Once upon a time, there was a story that the whole world told.”

The message was provided by author Francisco Hinojosa, and the poster design for this day was by Juan Gedovius. In 2022, the host region was Canada, and the theme was “Stories are wings that help you soar every day.” The poster designer for that year was Julie Flett, and the message was delivered by Richard Van Camp.

Some Quick Facts About Children’s Books

Children’s books are extremely important, and that’s why we would like to list some of the interesting facts that we learned about children’s books as we did the research for International Children’s Book Day. Let’s look at them below.

• Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games, was a writer on the TV show Clarissa Explains It All during the 1990s.
• Dr. Seuss’ first book was rejected by over 20 different publishers.
• Dr. Seuss’s books have now sold over 500 million copies worldwide.

Observing International Children’s Book Day

Parents are encouraged to read to their children on a daily basis, not just on this holiday. However, this holiday does serve as a good reminder for people to get into the habit of reading to their children.

This is also a good day for people to volunteer at schools and libraries to read to children, and it’s also a good day for people to give the gift of books. And, as usual, people can spread the news about this holiday by using the hashtag #InternationalChildrensBookDay on social media.